Physiological factors influencing capillary growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Egginton, S

2011-07-01

(1) Angiogenesis (growth of new capillaries from an existing capillary bed) may result from a mismatch in microvascular supply and metabolic demand (metabolic error signal). Krogh examined the distribution and number of capillaries to explore the correlation between O(2) delivery and O(2) consumption. Subsequently, the heterogeneity in angiogenic response within a muscle has been shown to reflect either differences in fibre type composition or mechanical load. However, local control leads to targetted angiogenesis in the vicinity of glycolytic fibre types following muscle stimulation, or oxidative fibres following endurance training, while heterogeneity of capillary spacing is maintained during ontogenetic growth. (2) Despite limited microscopy resolution and lack of specific markers, Krogh's interest in the structure of the capillary wall paved the way for understanding the mechanisms of capillary growth. Angiogenesis may be influenced by the response of perivascular or stromal cells (fibroblasts, macrophages and pericytes) to altered activity, likely acting as a source for chemical signals modulating capillary growth such as vascular endothelial growth factor. In addition, haemodynamic factors such as shear stress and muscle stretch play a significant role in adaptive remodelling of the microcirculation. (3) Most indices of capillarity are highly dependent on fibre size, resulting in possible bias because of scaling. To examine the consequences of capillary distribution, it is therefore helpful to quantify the area of tissue supplied by individual capillaries. This allows the spatial limitations inherent in most models of tissue oxygenation to be overcome generating an alternative approach to Krogh's tissue cylinder, the capillary domain, to improve descriptions of intracellular oxygen diffusion. © 2010 The Author. Acta Physiologica © 2010 Scandinavian Physiological Society.

Dehydration: physiology, assessment, and performance effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheuvront, Samuel N; Kenefick, Robert W

2014-01-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of dehydration assessment and presents a unique evaluation of the dehydration and performance literature. The importance of osmolality and volume are emphasized when discussing the physiology, assessment, and performance effects of dehydration. The underappreciated physiologic distinction between a loss of hypo-osmotic body water (intracellular dehydration) and an iso-osmotic loss of body water (extracellular dehydration) is presented and argued as the single most essential aspect of dehydration assessment. The importance of diagnostic and biological variation analyses to dehydration assessment methods is reviewed and their use in gauging the true potential of any dehydration assessment method highlighted. The necessity for establishing proper baselines is discussed, as is the magnitude of dehydration required to elicit reliable and detectable osmotic or volume-mediated compensatory physiologic responses. The discussion of physiologic responses further helps inform and explain our analysis of the literature suggesting a ≥ 2% dehydration threshold for impaired endurance exercise performance mediated by volume loss. In contrast, no clear threshold or plausible mechanism(s) support the marginal, but potentially important, impairment in strength, and power observed with dehydration. Similarly, the potential for dehydration to impair cognition appears small and related primarily to distraction or discomfort. The impact of dehydration on any particular sport skill or task is therefore likely dependent upon the makeup of the task itself (e.g., endurance, strength, cognitive, and motor skill). © 2014 American Physiological Society.

Understanding the physiology of Lactobacillus plantarum at zero growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goffin, P.; van de Bunt, B.; Giovane, M.; Leveau, J.H.J.; Höppener-Ogawa, S.; Teusink, B.; Hugenholtz, J.

2010-01-01

Situations of extremely low substrate availability, resulting in slow growth, are common in natural environments. To mimic these conditions, Lactobacillus plantarum was grown in a carbon-limited retentostat with complete biomass retention. The physiology of extremely slow-growing L. plantarum—as

Was Dinosaurian Physiology Inherited by Birds? Reconciling Slow Growth in Archaeopteryx

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, Gregory M.; Rauhut, Oliver W. M.; Zhou, Zhonghe; Turner, Alan H.; Inouye, Brian D.; Hu, Dongyu; Norell, Mark A.

2009-01-01

Background Archaeopteryx is the oldest and most primitive known bird (Avialae). It is believed that the growth and energetic physiology of basalmost birds such as Archaeopteryx were inherited in their entirety from non-avialan dinosaurs. This hypothesis predicts that the long bones in these birds formed using rapidly growing, well-vascularized woven tissue typical of non-avialan dinosaurs. Methodology/Principal Findings We report that Archaeopteryx long bones are composed of nearly avascular parallel-fibered bone. This is among the slowest growing osseous tissues and is common in ectothermic reptiles. These findings dispute the hypothesis that non-avialan dinosaur growth and physiology were inherited in totality by the first birds. Examining these findings in a phylogenetic context required intensive sampling of outgroup dinosaurs and basalmost birds. Our results demonstrate the presence of a scale-dependent maniraptoran histological continuum that Archaeopteryx and other basalmost birds follow. Growth analysis for Archaeopteryx suggests that these animals showed exponential growth rates like non-avialan dinosaurs, three times slower than living precocial birds, but still within the lowermost range for all endothermic vertebrates. Conclusions/Significance The unexpected histology of Archaeopteryx and other basalmost birds is actually consistent with retention of the phylogenetically earlier paravian dinosaur condition when size is considered. The first birds were simply feathered dinosaurs with respect to growth and energetic physiology. The evolution of the novel pattern in modern forms occurred later in the group's history. PMID:19816582

Effects of Cadmium on the Growth and Physiological Characteristics ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-11-09

Nov 9, 2011 ... The effects of cadmium (Cd) stress on the growth and physiological characteristics were studied in 3 sorghum species viz., sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. cv. Hunnigreen], sorghum hybrid sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × Sorghum sudanense, cv. Everlush) and sudangrass [Sorghum.

Physiological Factors Contributing to Postflight Changes in Functional Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Bloomberg, J. J.; Feedback, D. L.; Feiverson, A. H.; Lee, S. M. C.; Mulavara, A. P.; Peters, B. T.; Platts, S. H.; Reschke, M. F.; Ryder, J.; Spiering, B. A.;

Physiological Actions of Fibroblast Growth Factor-23

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reinhold G. Erben

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23 is a bone-derived hormone suppressing phosphate reabsorption and vitamin D hormone synthesis in the kidney. At physiological concentrations of the hormone, the endocrine actions of FGF23 in the kidney are αKlotho-dependent, because high-affinity binding of FGF23 to FGF receptors requires the presence of the co-receptor αKlotho on target cells. It is well established that excessive concentrations of intact FGF23 in the blood lead to phosphate wasting in patients with normal kidney function. Based on the importance of diseases associated with gain of FGF23 function such as phosphate-wasting diseases and chronic kidney disease, a large body of literature has focused on the pathophysiological consequences of FGF23 excess. Less emphasis has been put on the role of FGF23 in normal physiology. Nevertheless, during recent years, lessons we have learned from loss-of-function models have shown that besides the paramount physiological roles of FGF23 in the control of 1α-hydroxylase expression and of apical membrane expression of sodium-phosphate co-transporters in proximal renal tubules, FGF23 also is an important stimulator of calcium and sodium reabsorption in distal renal tubules. In addition, there is an emerging role of FGF23 as an auto-/paracrine regulator of alkaline phosphatase expression and mineralization in bone. In contrast to the renal actions of FGF23, the FGF23-mediated suppression of alkaline phosphatase in bone is αKlotho-independent. Moreover, FGF23 may be a physiological suppressor of differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into the erythroid lineage in the bone microenvironment. At present, there is little evidence for a physiological role of FGF23 in organs other than kidney and bone. The purpose of this mini-review is to highlight the current knowledge about the complex physiological functions of FGF23.

Growth and physiological responses of some Capsicum frutescens varieties to copper stress

Science.gov (United States)

Jadid, Nurul; Maziyah, Rizka; Nurcahyani, Desy Dwi; Mubarokah, Nilna Rizqiyah

2017-06-01

Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient participating in various physiological processes. However, excessive uptake of this micronutrient could potentially affect plant growth and development as well as plant productivity. In this present work, growth and physiological responses of some Capsicum frustescens varieties to Cu stress were determined. Three C. frutescens varieties used in this work were var. Bara, CF 291, and Genie. In addition, these varieties were treated with different concentration of Cu (0, 30, 70, and 120 ppm). The growth and physiological responses measured in this work included plant height, root length, malondialdehyde (MDA), and chlorophyll. The result showed that all varieties tested relatively displayed plant growth reduction including plant height and root length. Likewise, an increase of MDA level, a major bioindicator for oxidative damage was also found in all varieties following exposure to elevated Cu concentration. Finally, the chlorophyll content was also affected indicated by a decreased amount of chlorophyll, especially in var. CF291. The overall results demonstrated that elevated Cu concentration might decrease C. frutescens productivity where among the three varieties tested, var CF 291 seemed to be the most sensitive varieties to Cu stress.

Effects of cadmium on the growth and physiological characteristics ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effects of cadmium (Cd) stress on the growth and physiological characteristics were studied in 3 sorghum species viz., sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench. cv. Hunnigreen], sorghum hybrid sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × Sorghum sudanense, cv. Everlush) and sudangrass [Sorghum sudanense (Piper) Stapf ...

Growth and other physiological responses of bivalves in laboratory experiments

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Milford lab maintains data sets relating to a variety of growth and physiology trials. These include husbandry techniques (i.e. stocking density, container size,...

Morphology and physiology of the epiphyseal growth plate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Klepacz

2009-05-01

Full Text Available The epiphyseal growth plate develops from the cartilaginous-orientated mesenchymal cells that express SOX family genes. This multilayer structure is formed by the proliferation and hypertrophy of cells that synthesize the extracellular matrix composed of collagen (mainly type II, IX, X, XI and proteoglycans (aggrecan, decorin, annexin II, V and VI. The resting zone is responsible for protein synthesis and maintaining a germinal structure. In the proliferative zone, cells rapidly duplicate. The subsequent morphological changes take place in the transformation zone, divided into the upper and lower hypertrophic layers. In the degenerative zone, the mineralization process becomes intensive due to increased release of alkaline phosphate, calcium and matrix vesicles by terminally differentiated chondrocytes and some other factors e.g., metaphyseal ingrowth vessels. At this level, as well as in the primary and secondary spongiosa zones, chondrocytes undergo apoptosis and are physiologically eliminated. Unlike adult cartilage, in fetal and early formed growth plates, unusual forms such as authophagal bodies, paralysis and dark chondrocytes were also observed. Their ultrastructure differs greatly from apoptotic and normal cartilage cells. Chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation are regulated by various endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine agents such as growth, thyroid and sex hormones, beta-catenin, bone morphogenetic proteins, insulin-like growth factor, iodothyronine deiodinase, leptin, nitric oxide, transforming growth factor beta and vitamin D metabolites. However, the most significant factor is parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP which is synthesized in the perichondrium by terminally differentiated chondrocytes. Secondary to activation of PTH/PTHrP receptors, PTHrP stimulates cell proliferation by G protein activation and delays their transformation into prehypertrophic and hypertrophic chondrocytes. When proliferation is completed

Growth and physiological aspects of bell pepper ( Capsicum annuum )

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study aimed to evaluate growth and physiological aspects of 'All Big' bell pepper, under saline stress and exogenous application of proline on the leaves. The research was conducted in pots adapted as drainage lysimeters under greenhouse conditions, using sandy-loam eutrophic Regolithic Neosol, in the ...

Pre-performance Physiological State: Heart Rate Variability as a Predictor of Shooting Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, E; Wang, C J K

2018-03-01

Heart rate variability (HRV) is commonly used in sport science for monitoring the physiology of athletes but not as an indicator of physiological state from a psychological perspective. Since HRV is established to be an indicator of emotional responding, it could be an objective means of quantifying an athlete's subjective physiological state before competition. A total of 61 sport shooters participated in this study, of which 21 were novice shooters, 19 were intermediate shooters, and 21 were advanced level shooters. HRV, self-efficacy, and use of mental skills were assessed before they completed a standard shooting performance task of 40 shots, as in a competition qualifying round. The results showed that HRV was significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy and performance and was a significant predictor of shooting performance. In addition, advanced shooters were found to have significantly lower average heart rate before shooting and used more self-talk, relaxation, imagery, and automaticity compared to novice and intermediate shooters. HRV was found to be useful in identifying the physiological state of an athlete before competing, and as such, coaches and athletes can adopt practical strategies to improve the pre-performance physiological state as a means to optimize performance.

Impact of microcystin containing diets on physiological performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) concerning stress and growth

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ziková, A.; Trubiroha, A.; Wiegand, C.; Wuertz, S.; Rennert, B.; Pflugmacher, S.; Kopp, Radovan; Mareš, J.; Kloas, W.

2010-01-01

Roč. 29, č. 3 (2010), s. 561-568 ISSN 0730-7268 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : microcystin * Nile tilapia * physiological performance Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 3.026, year: 2010

The Growth Hormone Receptor: Mechanism of Receptor Activation, Cell Signaling, and Physiological Aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Dehkhoda

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The growth hormone receptor (GHR, although most well known for regulating growth, has many other important biological functions including regulating metabolism and controlling physiological processes related to the hepatobiliary, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. In addition, growth hormone signaling is an important regulator of aging and plays a significant role in cancer development. Growth hormone activates the Janus kinase (JAK–signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT signaling pathway, and recent studies have provided a new understanding of the mechanism of JAK2 activation by growth hormone binding to its receptor. JAK2 activation is required for growth hormone-mediated activation of STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5, and the negative regulation of JAK–STAT signaling comprises an important step in the control of this signaling pathway. The GHR also activates the Src family kinase signaling pathway independent of JAK2. This review covers the molecular mechanisms of GHR activation and signal transduction as well as the physiological consequences of growth hormone signaling.

The induction mutation effects of "6"0Co gamma radiation on physiological growth of tomato

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gusti Ngurah Sutapa; I Gde Antha Kasmawan

2016-01-01

Almost all types of cuisine in Indonesia are using tomatoes as the base material of manufacture. The nutritional value contained in tomatoes is also quite high, because there is a number of vitamin content required by the human body. In addition, the tomatoes in plants featured national horticultural commodity and priority on a number of provinces in Indonesia. So many benefits of tomatoes indicates that the productivity of tomatoes should be improved. One improvement in terms of quality can be done by means of mutation induction with gamma radiation of Co-60. Induction of mutations are genetic changes caused by human effort, one of them is by using radioactive materials. Gamma rays of Co-60 from the IRPASENA facility was exposed to tomato seeds at doses of 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 Gy. And then measurements were conducted on the physiological growth of leaf width, plant height, number of fruit and wet weight of tomatoes from week 1 until harvest. The results showed a growth curve of tomato is in accordance with sigmoidal plant physiological growth curve. Optimal physiological growth of tomato plants was obtained at dose of gamma radiation of 100 Gy. At this optimal dose physiological growth of tomato plants is the best (superior) than in doses below and above 100 Gy and control. (author)

Performance in physiology evaluation: possible improvement by active learning strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Montrezor, Luís H

2016-12-01

The evaluation process is complex and extremely important in the teaching/learning process. Evaluations are constantly employed in the classroom to assist students in the learning process and to help teachers improve the teaching process. The use of active methodologies encourages students to participate in the learning process, encourages interaction with their peers, and stimulates thinking about physiological mechanisms. This study examined the performance of medical students on physiology over four semesters with and without active engagement methodologies. Four activities were used: a puzzle, a board game, a debate, and a video. The results show that engaging in activities with active methodologies before a physiology cognitive monitoring test significantly improved student performance compared with not performing the activities. We integrate the use of these methodologies with classic lectures, and this integration appears to improve the teaching/learning process in the discipline of physiology and improves the integration of physiology with cardiology and neurology. In addition, students enjoy the activities and perform better on their evaluations when they use them. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Biofertilizer: a novel formulation for improving wheat growth, physiology and yield

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, T.; Bano, A.

2016-01-01

Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas moraviensis strains were inoculated singly as well as in consortium with two different carriers i.e., maize straws and sugarcane husk in the formulation of biofertilizer. Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains used in biofertilizer were phosphate solubilizer and exhibited strong antifungal activities. Both PGPR used in formulation was maintained 15-16.5 * 10/sup 8/ cfu g-1 in carrier material after 40d. The field experiment was conducted at Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad on wheat for two consecutive years (2011-2012) simultaneously in pots and field. Plants sampling for growth and physiological parameters was made after 57d of sowing and at maturity for yield parameters. Single inoculation of Pseudomonas moraviensis and Bacillus cereus with maize straw and sugarcane husk increased plant height and fresh weight by 18-30% and protein, proline, sugar contents and antioxidant activities by 25-40%. There were 20% increases in spike length, seeds/spike and seed weight in single inoculation. Co-inoculation of PGPR further increased plant growth, physiology and yield by 10-15% over single inoculation with carriers. PGPR consortium with sugarcane husk and maize straw (biofertilizer formulation) increased 20-30% plant growth chlorophyll, sugar, protein contents, antioxidants activities and yield parameters. It is inferred that carrier based biofertilzer effectively increased growth, maintained osmotic balance and enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes and yield parameters. (author)

Taxonomy, physiology and growth of Lactococcus lactis: a review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dubravka Samaržija

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Lactococcus lactis species is one of the most important groups of lactic acid bacteria that are used in the dairy industry. The major functions of this species in dairy fermentation are the production of lactic acid from lactose, hydrolysis of casein and citric acid fermentation. Thus their metabolic end products and enzymes directly or indirectly have significant influence in determining the texture and flavour of the final products. In recent years, genetics and physiological properties of lactococci have considerable changed. Therefore, both for basic research and for application purposes in this paper the general view of the new taxonomic classification of Lactococcus lactis, the role of their plasmids and the physiology and nutritional requirements during growth are discussed.

Physiological responses and physical performance during football in the heat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohr, Magni; Nybo, Lars; Grantham, Justin

2012-01-01

To examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play.......To examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play....

Assessment of Cadmium and Chromium Stress on Growth, Physiology and Metal Uptake Using Mirabilis Jalapa

OpenAIRE

S. A. Shahanaz Begum; Tharakeswar Yadamari; Kalyan Yakkala; Sreevani Parvathareddy; Ramakrishna Naidu Gurijala

2015-01-01

Phytoextraction potential of Mirabilis jalapa, with tuberous root having high ecological adoptability was studied in the present work . Different levels of cadmium and chromium stress on growth, physiology and metal uptake were studied using pot experiments. The experiment comprised of 5 dosages of cadmium and chromium with different test concentrations (TC) viz, TC1(0), TC2(25), TC3(50), TC4(75) and TC5(100) ppm, for the period of 45 days. Growth, physiological parameters and metal accumulat...

Effects of Garlic (Alliumsativum and chloramphenicol on growth performance, physiological parameters and survival of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. M. Shalaby

2006-04-01

Full Text Available We studied and compared the effects of chloramphenicol antibiotic and garlic (Allium sativum, used as immunostimulants and growth promoters, on some physiological parameters, growth performance, survival rate, and bacteriological characteristics of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus. Fish (7±1g/fish were assigned to eight treatments, with three replicates each. Treatment groups had a different level of Allium sativum (10, 20, 30, and 40g/kg diet and chloramphenicol (15, 30, and 45mg/kg diet added to their diets; the control group diet was free from garlic and antibiotic. Diets also contained 32% crude protein (CP and were administered at a rate of 3% live body weight twice daily for 90 days. Results showed that the final weight and specific growth rate (SGR of O. niloticus increased significantly with increasing levels of Allium sativum and chloramphenicol. The highest growth performance was verified with 30g Allium sativum / kg diet and 30mg chloramphenicol / kg diet. The lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR was observed with 30g Allium sativum / kg diet and 30mg chloramphenicol / kg diet. There were significant differences in the protein efficiency ratio (PER with all treatments, except with 45mg chloramphenicol / kg diet. No changes in the hepatosomatic index and survival rate were observed. Crude protein content in whole fish increased significantly in the group fed on 30g Allium sativum / kg diet, while total lipids decreased significantly in the same group. Ash of whole fish showed significantly high values with 30g Allium sativum and 15mg chloramphenicol / kg diet while the lowest value was observed in the control group. Blood parameters, erythrocyte count (RBC, and hemoglobin content in fish fed on diets containing 40g Allium sativum and all levels of chloramphenicol were significantly higher than in control. Significantly higher hematocrit values were seen with 30 and 45mg chloramphenicol / kg diet. There were no significant differences

Defining the Physiological Factors that Contribute to Postflight Changes in Functional Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Bloomberg, J. J.; Arzeno, N.; Buxton, R.; Feiveson, A. H.; Kofman, I.; Lawrence, E.; Lee, S. M. C.; Mulavara, A. P.; Peters, B. T.; Platts, S. H.;

Growth and Physiological Performance of Aerobic and Lowland Rice as Affected by Water Stress at Selected Growth Stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadzariah Kamarul Zaman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aerobic rice technology is still new in Malaysia, and information regarding MARDI Aerob 1 (MA1, the first local aerobic rice variety, is still lacking. Therefore, comparative studies were carried out to determine the physiological performance of aerobic rice variety MA1 and lowland rice variety MR253 under water stress given at the panicle initiation, flowering and ripening stages. This experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design. Stomatal conductance (gs, chlorophyll a fluorescence (Fv/Fm, leaf relative water content (leaf RWC, and soil moisture content (SMC as well as yield component parameters such as panicle number, grain yield and 100-grain weight were measured. Results revealed that gs and leaf RWC for both varieties decreased with depletion of SMC. The correlation study between the physiological parameters and SMC indicated that Fv/Fm was not affected by water stress, regardless of varieties. The yield components (panicle number, grain yield and 100-grain weight for both varieties greatly decreased when water stress was imposed at the panicle initiation stage. This study showed that the panicle initiation period was the most sensitive stage to water stress that contributed to a substantial reduction in yield for both varieties. Under the aerobic condition (control, MR253 produced higher panicle number, 100-grain weight and yield than MA1. Although MR253 is bred for lowland, it is well adapted to aerobic condition.

Where have the organizers gone? - The growth control system as a foundation of physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhimin; Shang, Charles

2017-01-01

A model of growth control system suggests that the organizers in embryogenesis continue to exist and partially retain their function after embryogenesis. The organizers are the macroscopic singular points of the morphogen gradient and bioelectric fields. They have higher metabolic rate, higher density of gap junctions and stem cells than the surrounding tissue. The growth control model predicts that the organizers are likely to exist at the extreme points of surface or interface curvature of the body. Changes in bioelectric field at organizers precede the morphological and anatomical changes in morphogenesis and pathogenesis. Subtle perturbations at organizers can cause long lasting systemic effects. These features of organizers can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes such as regenerative medicine. There is increasing evidence that acupuncture points are likely to have originated from organizers in embryogenesis. Many corollaries and predictions of the growth control model have been independently confirmed in developmental biology, physiology, as well as basic and clinical acupuncture research. This model set the first example of a truly integrative biological basis of acupuncture and conventional biomedical sciences which has met the gold standard of science with multiple confirmed predictions in both fields. The growth control system is embedded in various physiological systems and is part of the foundation of physiology and pathophysiology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of plant growth promoting bacillus subtilis on growth and physiological parameters of bassia indica (indian bassia) grown udder salt stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abeer, H.; Asma, A. H.; Allah, A.; Qarawi, A.; Shalawi, A.; Dilfuza, E.

2015-01-01

In this study, the role of a salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting bacterium (PGPR), Bacillus subtilis, in the alleviation of salinity stress during the growth of Indian bassia (Bassia indica (Wight) A.J. Scott), was studied under ccontrolled growth chamber conditions following seed inoculation. Physiological parameters such as neutral and phospholipids, fatty acid composition as well as photosynthetic pigments, were investigated. Salinity inhibited shoot and root length by 16 and 42 percentage, dry weight by 37 and 23 percentage respectively and negatively affected physiological parameters. Inoculation of unstressed and salt-stressed Indian bassia with B. subtilis significantly improved root and shoot growth, total lipid content, the phospholipid fraction, photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll a and b and carotenoid contents) and also increased oleic (C 18:1 ), linoleic (C 18:2 ) and linolenic (C 18:3 ) acids in plant leaves compared to uninoculated plants. The salt-tolerant PGPR, B. subtilis could act synergistically to promote the growth and fitness of Indian bassia plants under salt stress by providing an additional supply of an auxin (IAA) and induce salt stress resistance by reducing stress ethylene levels. (author)

The Effect of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Safflower Plant Growth and Physiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Hafizi

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a study of the effect of ZnO nanoparticles on safflower growth and physiology was performed. Each of these elements plays a particular role in the plant life, the presence of these elements is necessary for plant’s life cycle and growth. Zinc deficiency causes the biggest problems in safflower’s production. Considering the importance of nanoparticles in today's world, this research investigated the effect of Zinc oxide nanoparticles on the concentration of guaiacol peroxidase, polypeptide oxidase, dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde in four plant sample groups in greenhouse and laboratory conditions. Results of showed that malondialdehyde enzyme increased with different treatments of various concentrations of Zinc oxide. The enzyme guaiacol oxidase increased at concentrations of 100 mg/L and polyphenol oxide at concentrations of 10 and 500 mg/L and dehydrogenase in 1000 mg/L and decreased in other treatments. In addition to showing the effect of nanoparticles in plants, these findings determine the beneficial concentrations of nanoparticles that have a positive effect on the level of enzymes in plants.

Impact of lead tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria on growth, physiology, antioxidant activities, yield and lead content in sunflower in lead contaminated soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleem, Muhammad; Asghar, Hafiz Naeem; Zahir, Zahir Ahmad; Shahid, Muhammad

2018-03-01

Present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lead tolerant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (LTPGPR) on growth, physiology, yield, antioxidant activities and lead uptake in sunflower in soil contaminated with lead under pot conditions. Three pre-characterized LTPGP strains (S2 (Pseudomonas gessardii strain BLP141), S5 (Pseudomonas fluorescens A506) and S10 (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain LMG 2189)) were used to inoculate sunflower growing in soil contaminated with different levels (300, 600 and 900 mg kg -1 ) of lead by using lead nitrate salt as source of lead. Treatments were arranged according to completely randomized design with factorial arrangements. At harvesting, data regarding growth attributes (root shoot length, root shoot fresh and dry weights), yield per plant, physiological attributes (Chlorophyll 'a', 'b' and carotenoids content), antioxidant activities (Ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase), proline and malanodialdehyde content, and lead content in root, shoot and achenes of sunflower were recorded. Data were analysed by standard statistical procedures. Results showed that lead contamination reduced the plants growth, physiology and yield at all levels of lead stress. But application of LTPGPR in soil contaminated with lead improved plant growth, physiology, yield, and antioxidant activities, proline, and reduced the malanodialdehyde content (that is reduced by the application of different strains in lead contamination) of sunflower as compared to plants grown in soil without inoculation. Inoculation also promoted the uptake of lead in root, shoots and reduced the uptake of lead in achenes of plants as compared to plants in lead contamination without inoculation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth and physiological characteristics of the weed false johnsongrass ( Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv. Stapf

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Deborah Amorim Martins

2016-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Sorghum arundinaceum (Desv. Stapf is a weed that belongs to the Poaceae family and is widespread throughout Brazil. Despite the frequent occurrence, infesting cultivated areas, there is little research concerning the biology and physiology of this species. The objective of this research was to evaluate the growth, carbon partitioning and physiological characteristics of the weed Sorghum arundinaceum in greenhouse. Plants were collected at regular intervals of seven days, from 22 to 113 days after transplanting (DAT. In each sample, we determined plant height, root volume, leaf area and dry matter, and subsequently we perfomed the growth analysis, we have determined the dry matter partitioning among organs, the accumulation of dry matter, the specific leaf area, the relative growth rate and leaf weight ratio. At 36, 78 and 113 DAT, the photosynthetic and transpiration rates, stomatal conductance, CO2 concentration and chlorophyll fluorescence were evaluated. The Sorghum arundinaceum reached 1.91 in height, with slow initial growth and allocated much of the biomass in the roots. The photosynthetic rate and the maximum quantum yield of FSII are similar throughout the growth cycle. At maturity the Sorghum arundinaceum presents higher values of transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ.

Exogenously applied plant growth regulators enhance the morpho-physiological growth and yield of rice under high temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shah Fahad

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A two-year experiment was conducted to ascertain the effects of exogenously applied plant growth regulators (PGR on rice growth and yield attributes under high day (HDT and high night temperature (HNT. Two rice cultivars (IR-64 and Huanghuazhan were subjected to temperature treatments in controlled growth chambers and four different combinations of ascorbic acid (Vc, alpha-tocopherol (Ve, brassinosteroids (Br, methyl jasmonates (MeJA and triazoles (Tr were applied. High temperature severely affected rice morphology, and also reduced leaf area, above- and below-ground biomass, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency, while increased the leaf water potential of both rice cultivars. Grain yield and its related attributes except number of panicles, were reduced under high temperature. The HDT posed more negative effects on rice physiological attributes, while HNT was more detrimental for grain formation and yield. The Huanghuazhan performed better than IR-64 under high temperature stress with better growth and higher grain yield. Exogenous application of PGRs was helpful in alleviating the adverse effects of high temperature. Among PGR combinations, the Vc+Ve+MejA+Br was the most effective treatment for both cultivars under high temperature stress. The highest grain production by Vc+Ve+MejA+Br treated plants was due to enhanced photosynthesis, spikelet fertility and grain filling, which compensated the adversities of high temperature stress. Taken together, these results will be of worth for further understanding the adaptation and survival mechanisms of rice to high temperature and will assist in developing heat-resistant rice germplasm in future.

Physiological Correlations with Short, Medium, and Long Cycling Time-Trial Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Borszcz, Fernando K.; Tramontin, Artur F.; de Souza, Kristopher M.; Carminatti, Lorival J.; Costa, Vitor P.

2018-01-01

Purpose: Several studies have demonstrated that physiological variables predict cycling endurance performance. However, it is still unclear whether the predictors will change over different performance durations. The aim of this study was to assess the correlations between physiological variables and cycling time trials with different durations.…

Physiological performance of the soybean crosses in salinity stress

Science.gov (United States)

Wibowo, F.; Armaniar

2018-02-01

Plants grown in saline soils will experience salinity stress. Salinity stresses, one of which causes oxidative stress, that cause an imbalance in the production ROS compounds (Reactive Oxygen Species), antioxidants and chlorophyll. Where the reaction of this compound can affect plant growth and plant production. This study aims to inform performance and action gene to soybean physiological character that potential to tolerant from salinity soil that characterized by the presence of SOD and POD antioxidant compounds and chlorophyll. This research used a destructive analysis from crossbred (AxN) and (GxN). A = Anjasmoro varieties and G = Grobogan varieties as female elders and N = Grobogan varieties as male elders (N1, N2, N3, N4, N5) that have been through the stage of saline soil selection. Research result can be concluded that GxN cross is more potential for Inheritance of the offspring. This can be seen from the observed skewness of character SOD, POD compounds, Chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b.

Growth physiology and dimorphism of Mucor circinelloides (syn. racemosus) during submerged batch cultivation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mcintyre, Mhairi; Breum, J.; Arnau, J.

2002-01-01

Mucor circinelloides is being investigated as a possible host for the production of heterologous proteins. Thus, the environmental conditions defining the physiology and morphology of this dimorphic fungus have been investigated in submerged batch cultivation. The optimal conditions for growth...

Growth of hydroxyapatite on physiologically clotted fibrin capped gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sastry, T P; Sundaraseelan, J; Swarnalatha, K; Sobhana, S S Liji; Makheswari, M Uma; Sekar, S; Mandal, A B

2008-01-01

The growth of hydroxyapatite (HAp) on physiologically clotted fibrin (PCF)-gold nanoparticles is presented for the first time by employing a wet precipitation method. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the characteristic functionalities of PCF and HAp in the PCF-Au-HAp nanocomposite. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images have shown cuboidal nanostructures having a size in the range of 70-300 nm of HAp, whereas 2-50 nm sized particles were visualized in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies have confirmed the presence of HAp. These results show that gold nanoparticles with PCF acted as a matrix for the growth of HAp, and that PCF-Au-HAp nanocomposite is expected to have better osteoinductive properties

Growth and physiological responses to varied environments among populations of Pinus ponderosa

Science.gov (United States)

Jianwei Zhang; Bert M. Cregg

2005-01-01

We investigated population responses in physiology, morphology, and growth of mature Pinus ponderosa trees to an environmental gradient across Nebraska, USA. Ten populations from western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming were grown in three 26-year-old provenance tests from the warmest and wettest site in the east (Plattsmouth) to the intermediate site in...

Active Learning Improves Student Performance in a Respiratory Physiology Lab

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Wolf, Alex M.; Liachovitzky, Carlos; Abdullahi, Abass S.

2015-01-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of the introduction of active learning exercises into the anatomy and physiology curriculum in a community college setting. Specifically, the incorporation of a spirometry-based respiratory physiology lab resulted in improved student performance in two concepts (respiratory volumes and the hallmarks of…

water stress mediated changes in growth, physiology and secondary metabolites of desi ajwain (trachyspermum ammi l.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azhar, N.; Hussain, B.; Abbasi, K.Y.

2011-01-01

Biotic and abiotic stresses exert a considerable influence on the production of several secondary metabolites in plants; water stress is one of the most important abiotic stress factors. This study was carried out to elucidate the effect of drought stress on growth, physiology and secondary metabolite production in desi ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi L.). Plants were grown in pots and three drought levels (100%, 80% and 60%) of field capacity were created. The experiment was laid out in complete randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Data on growth, physiological and biochemical parameters were recorded and analyzed statistically. Physiological parameters like transpiration rate and stomatal conductance decreased concentration increased. The photosynthetic rate showed significantly with increasing water stress levels, but internal CO/sub 2/ non-significant reduction from 100% field capacity to 80% field capacity but increased at 60% field capacity. Growth parameters including plant height, herb fresh and dry weights were reduced significantly with increasing stress levels, while total phenolic contents and chlorophyll contents increased under water stress conditions. These results suggest that cultivation of medicinal plants like desi ajwain under drought stress could enhance the production of secondary metabolites. (author)

Effects of fumonisin B1 and mycotoxin binders on growth performance, tibia characteristics, gut physiology, and stress indicators in broiler chickens raised in different stocking densities.

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Lee, S; Kim, D-H; Keum, M-C; Han, E; An, B-K; Chang, H-H; Choi, Y-H; Moon, B-H; Lee, K-W

2018-03-01

The present study was carried out to investigate the effects of stocking density, fumonisin B1 (FB), and mycotoxin binder (TB) on growth performance, bone quality, physiological stress indicators, and gut health in broiler chickens. Day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks (n = 1,440/experiment) were randomly allocated to 72 floor pens in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, using 3 stocking densities (12.5 birds/m2 [HSD], 10 birds/m2 [MSD], or 7.5 birds/m2 [LSD]), 2 levels of purified FB (0 or 10 ppm), and 2 levels of TB (0 or 0.2%). Each treatment had 6 replicates (n = 6/treatment) and experiments lasted 34 days. All data were analyzed using 3-way ANOVA with stocking density level, FB, and TB as main factors. Body weight gain and feed intake were lower (P FB-contaminated diet exhibited a higher feed-to-gain ratio compared with those fed an FB-free diet (P FB-contaminated diet compared with the control diet-fed counterparts. Significant interaction (P FB and TB on serum NO levels was noted. In summary, increasing stocking density lowered growth performance and bone quality, but increased the H/L ratio. Dietary TB did not affect FB-induced increases in the feed-to-gain ratio. No interaction was observed between stocking density and FB for the measured variables.

Anthropometric, physiological and performance characteristics of elite team-handball players.

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Chaouachi, Anis; Brughelli, Matt; Levin, Gregory; Boudhina, Nahla Ben Brahim; Cronin, John; Chamari, Karim

2009-01-15

The objective of this study was to provide anthropometric, physiological, and performance characteristics of an elite international handball team. Twenty-one elite handball players were tested and categorized according to their playing positions (goalkeepers, backs, pivots, and wings). Testing consisted of anthropometric and physiological measures of height, body mass, percentage body fat and endurance (VO(2max)), performance measures of speed (5, 10, and 30 m), strength (bench press and squat), unilateral and bilateral horizontal jumping ability, and a 5-jump horizontal test. Significant differences were found between player positions for some anthropometric characteristics (height and percentage body fat) but not for the physiological or performance characteristics. Strong correlations were noted between single leg horizontal jumping distances with 5-, 10-, and 30-m sprint times (r = 0.51-0.80; P team-handball players appear to be very similar. Single leg horizontal jumping distance could be a specific standardized test for predicting sprinting ability in elite handball players.

The role of physiology in the development of golf performance.

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Smith, Mark F

2010-08-01

The attainment of consistent high performance in golf requires effective physical conditioning that is carefully designed and monitored in accordance with the on-course demands the player will encounter. Appreciating the role that physiology plays in the attainment of consistent performance, and how a player's physicality can inhibit performance progression, supports the notion that the application of physiology is fundamental for any player wishing to excel in golf. With cardiorespiratory, metabolic, hormonal, musculoskeletal and nutritional demands acting on the golfer within and between rounds, effective physical screening of a player will ensure physiological and anatomical deficiencies that may influence performance are highlighted. The application of appropriate golf-specific assessment methods will ensure that physical attributes that have a direct effect on golf performance can be measured reliably and accurately. With the physical development of golf performance being achieved through a process of conditioning with the purpose of inducing changes in structural and metabolic functions, training must focus on foundation whole-body fitness and golf-specific functional strength and flexibility activities. For long-term player improvement to be effective, comprehensive monitoring will ensure the player reaches an optimal physical state at predetermined times in the competitive season. Through continual assessment of a player's physical attributes, training effectiveness and suitability, and the associated adaptive responses, key physical factors that may impact most on performance success can be determined.

Thermal comfort, physiological responses and performance during exposure to a moderate temperature drift

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schellen, Lisje; van Marken Lichtenbelt, Wouter; de Wit, Martin

2008-01-01

The objective of this research was to study the effects of a moderate temperature drift on human thermal comfort, physiological responses, productivity and performance. A dynamic thermophysiological model was used to examine the possibility of simulating human thermal responses and thermal comfort...... temperature corresponding with a neutral thermal sensation (control situation). During the experiments both physiological responses and thermal sensation were measured. Productivity and performance were assessed with a ‘Remote Performance Measurement’ (RPM) method. Physiological and thermal sensation data...

Growth physiology and fate of diatoms in the ocean: a review

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Sarthou, Géraldine; Timmermans, Klaas R.; Blain, Stéphane; Tréguer, Paul

2005-01-01

Diatoms are a major component of phytoplankton community. They tend to dominate under natural high-nutrient concentrations, as well as during artificial Fe fertilisation experiments. They are main players in the biogeochemical cycle of carbon (C), as they can account for 40% of the total primary production in the Ocean and dominate export production, as well as in the biogeochemical cycles of the other macro-nutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and silicon (Si). Another important nutrient is Fe, which was shown to have a direct or indirect effect on nearly all the biogeochemical parameters of diatoms. In the present paper, an inventory is made of the growth, physiology and fate of many diatom species, including maximum growth rate, photosynthetic parameters (maximum specific rate of photosynthesis, photosynthetic efficiency and light adaptation parameter), nutrient limitation (half-saturation constant for growth/uptake), cellular elemental ratios, and loss terms (sinking rates, autolysis rates and grazing rates). This is a first step for improvement of the parameterisation of physiologically based phytoplankton growth and global 3D carbon models. This review is a synthesis of a large number of published laboratory experiments using monospecific cultures as well as field data. Our compilation confirms that size is an important factor explaining variations of biogeochemical parameters of diatoms (e.g. maximum growth rate, photosynthesis parameters, half-saturation constants, sinking rate, and grazing). Some variations of elemental ratios can be explained by adaptation of intracellular requirements or storage of Fe, and P, for instance. The important loss processes of diatoms pointed out by this synthesis are (i) sinking, as single cells as well as through aggregation which generally greatly increases sinking rate, (ii) cell autolysis, which can significantly reduce net growth rates, especially under nutrient limitation when gross growth rates are low, and (iii

Physiological aspects underlying the improved outplanting performance of Pinus pinaster Ait. seedlings associated with ectomycorrhizal inoculation.

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Sanchez-Zabala, Joseba; Majada, Juan; Martín-Rodrigues, Noemí; Gonzalez-Murua, Carmen; Ortega, Unai; Alonso-Graña, Manuel; Arana, Orats; Duñabeitia, Miren K

2013-11-01

Mycorrhizal inoculation of conifer roots is a key strategy to optimize establishment and performance of forest tree species under both natural and cultivated conditions and also to mitigate transplantation shock. However, despite being a common practice, inoculation in outdoor nursery conditions has been poorly studied. Here, we have evaluated effectiveness of four fungal species (Lactarius deliciosus, Lactarius quieticolor, Pisolithus arhizus, and Suillus luteus) in the production of mycorrhizal Pinus pinaster seedlings in an outdoor commercial nursery and their ability to improve seedling physiology and field performance. All inoculated seedlings showed a significant increase in growth at the end of the nursery stage and these differences remained after 3 years of growth in the field. Differences observed in the content of malondialdehyde, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds from needles of mycorrhizal and control seedlings may reflect a different sensitivity to photo-oxidative damage. We conclude that ectomycorrhizal inoculation improves adaptability to changeable growing conditions of an outdoor nursery and produces a higher quality nursery stock, thereby enhancing seedling performance after planting.

Key physiological properties contributing to rhizosphere adaptation and plant growth promotion abilities of Azospirillum brasilense.

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Fibach-Paldi, Sharon; Burdman, Saul; Okon, Yaacov

2012-01-01

Azospirillum brasilense is a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) that is being increasingly used in agriculture in a commercial scale. Recent research has elucidated key properties of A. brasilense that contribute to its ability to adapt to the rhizosphere habitat and to promote plant growth. They include synthesis of the auxin indole-3-acetic acid, nitric oxide, carotenoids, and a range of cell surface components as well as the ability to undergo phenotypic variation. Storage and utilization of polybetahydroxyalkanoate polymers are important for the shelf life of the bacteria in production of inoculants, products containing bacterial cells in a suitable carrier for agricultural use. Azospirillum brasilense is able to fix nitrogen, but despite some controversy, as judging from most systems evaluated so far, contribution of fixed nitrogen by this bacterium does not seem to play a major role in plant growth promotion. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the understanding of physiological properties of A. brasilense that are important for rhizosphere performance and successful interactions with plant roots. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response of Physiological Growth Indices and Bulb Dry Yield of Onion (Allium cepa L. Genotypes to Priming and Seed Size

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Izadkhah

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Priming is one of the most common methods of improving seed quality, which significantly affects their storability. Seed priming is a seed treatment that allows imbibition and activation of the initial metabolic events associated with seed germination, but prevents radicle emergence and growth. In other words, phase one and two of seed water imbibition curve are passed, but seeds do not enter the third phase of water uptake. Then seeds are dried back to their original water content. Seed priming is a pre-sowing strategy for influencing seed germination and seedling development by modulating pre-germination metabolic activity prior to emergence of the radicle and generally enhances germination rate and plant performance. Naturally, when speed and percentage emergence of germinating seeds are being high, growing sources like light, water and nutrient will be more used. Another factor that can affect the seed germination and seedling establishment is the seed size. As generally known, among producing factors, seed as the first consumer store, plays an important role in the transfer of genetic characters and improvement of qualitative and quantitative traits of production. One of the most important factors in maximizing crop yield is planting high quality seed. Seed size is an important physical indicator of seed quality that affects vegetative growth and is frequently related to yield, market grade factors and harvest efficiency. In the present paper, effects of different pre-sowing treatments and seed size on physiological growth indices and bulb dry yield of onion cultivars were investigated. Materials and Methods In order to determine the response of physiological growth indices and bulb dry yield of onion to priming and seed size, a field experiment was conducted in 2012-2013 cropping season at Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center of East, Azarbayjan, Iran. This experiment was a factorial experiment based on a

Effects of differnt juvenile mixed plantations on growth and photosynthetic physiology of pinus yunnanensis franch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Y.; Ou, G. L.; Chen, D. D.; Liu, G. Y.; Li, Q. Q.; Zhang, S. H.; Han, M. Y.; Chen, J. L.

2017-01-01

The growth characteristics, photosynthetic gas exchange features, physiological and biochemical resistance, and soil nutrition contents of different juvenile mixed plantations were analyzed. Moreover, the synergic effect mechanism of the different species was elucidated to improve the stand quality of Pinus yunnanensis Franch. plantations and guide the screening of P. yunnanensis mixed plantations. The mixed plantations were P. yunnanensis-Alnus nepalensis-Quercus acutissima, P. yunnanensis-A. nepalensis-Cyclobalanopsis glaucoides, and P. yunnanensis-Q. acutissima-C. glaucoides. Individual juvenile plantations of pure P. yunnanensis, A. nepalensis, Q. acutissima, and C. glaucoides were used as control groups. Results showed that pure P. yunnanensis juvenile plantation consumed more soil organic matter, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) than the other plantations. This plantation also showed poorer growth characteristics, poorer photosynthetic capability, lower water utilization efficiency (WUE), and biochemical resistance in infertile soil, as shown by the nutrition and water competition. Increasing soil organic matters, TN, TP, and TK of the different mixed plantations evidently enhanced height, ground diameter growth rate, net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), WUE, carboxylation efficiency (CE), soluble sugar (SS) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Moreover, different mixed forests slightly influenced the characteristics of photosynthetic gas exchange and physiological and biochemical resistance of A. nepalensis. All stand types facilitated growth of tree height and basal diameter of Q. acutissima sapling. Although Q. acutissima inhibited physiological and biochemical resistance of leaves to a certain extent, they increased WUE significantly. Different stand types slightly influenced growth features, Pn, Tr, and WUE of C. glaucoides sapling. Moreover, they inhibited the osmotic adjustment system

Stress tolerance and growth physiology of yeast strains from the Brazilian fuel ethanol industry.

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Della-Bianca, B E; Gombert, A K

2013-12-01

Improved biofuels production requires a better understanding of industrial microorganisms. Some wild Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, isolated from the fuel ethanol industry in Brazil, present exceptional fermentation performance, persistence and prevalence in the harsh industrial environment. Nevertheless, their physiology has not yet been systematically investigated. Here we present a first systematic evaluation of the widely used industrial strains PE-2, CAT-1, BG-1 and JP1, in terms of their tolerance towards process-related stressors. We also analyzed their growth physiology under heat stress. These strains were evaluated in parallel to laboratory and baker's strains. Whereas the industrial strains performed in general better than the laboratory strains under ethanol or acetic acid stresses and on industrial media, high sugar stress was tolerated equally by all strains. Heat and low pH stresses clearly distinguished fuel ethanol strains from the others, indicating that these conditions might be the ones that mostly exert selective pressure on cells in the industrial environment. During shake-flask cultivations using a synthetic medium at 37 °C, industrial strains presented higher ethanol yields on glucose than the laboratory strains, indicating that they could have been selected for this trait-a response to energy-demanding fermentation conditions. These results might be useful to guide future improvements of large-scale fuel ethanol production via engineering of stress tolerance traits in other strains, and eventually also for promoting the use of these fuel ethanol strains in different industrial bioprocesses.

Physiological correlates of stress-induced decrements in human perceptual performance.

Science.gov (United States)

1993-11-01

Stress-induced changes in human performance have been thought to result from alterations in the "multidimensional arousal state" of the individual, as indexed by alterations in the physiological and psychological mechanisms controlling performance. I...

Lichen physiological traits and growth forms affect communities of associated invertebrates.

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Bokhorst, Stef; Asplund, Johan; Kardol, Paul; Wardle, David A

2015-09-01

While there has been much interest in the relationships between traits of primary producers and composition of associated invertebrate consumer communities, our knowledge is largely based on studies from vascular plants, while other types of functionally important producers, such as lichens, have rarely been considered. To address how physiological traits of lichens drive community composition of invertebrates, we collected thalli from 27 lichen species from southern Norway and quantified the communities of associated springtails, mites, and nematodes. For each lichen species, we measured key physiological thallus traits and determined whether invertebrate communities were correlated with these traits. We also explored whether invertebrate communities differed among lichen groups, categorized according to nitrogen-fixing ability, growth form, and substratum. Lichen traits explained up to 39% of the variation in abundances of major invertebrate groups. For many invertebrate groups, abundance was positively correlated with lichen N and P concentrations, N:P ratio, and the percentage of water content on saturation (WC), but had few relationships with concentrations of carbon-based secondary compounds. Diversity and taxonomic richness of invertebrate groups were sometimes also correlated with lichen N and N:P ratios. Nitrogen-fixing lichens showed higher abundance and diversity of some invertebrate groups than did non-N-fixing lichens. However, this emerged in part because most N-fixing lichens have a foliose growth form that benefits invertebrates, through, improving the microclimate, independently of N concentration. Furthermore, invertebrate communities associated with terricolous lichens were determined more by their close proximity to the soil invertebrate pool than by lichen traits. Overall, our results reveal that differences between lichen species have a large impact on the invertebrate communities that live among the thalli. Different invertebrate groups show

Protocol: optimising hydroponic growth systems for nutritional and physiological analysis of Arabidopsis thaliana and other plants

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Hydroponic growth systems are a convenient platform for studying whole plant physiology. However, we found through trialling systems as they are described in the literature that our experiments were frequently confounded by factors that affected plant growth, including algal contamination and hypoxia. We also found the way in which the plants were grown made them poorly amenable to a number of common physiological assays. Results The drivers for the development of this hydroponic system were: 1) the exclusion of light from the growth solution; 2) to simplify the handling of individual plants, and 3) the growth of the plant to allow easy implementation of multiple assays. These aims were all met by the use of pierced lids of black microcentrifuge tubes. Seed was germinated on a lid filled with an agar-containing germination media immersed in the same solution. Following germination, the liquid growth media was exchanged with the experimental solution, and after 14-21 days seedlings were transferred to larger tanks with aerated solution where they remained until experimentation. We provide details of the protocol including composition of the basal growth solution, and separate solutions with altered calcium, magnesium, potassium or sodium supply whilst maintaining the activity of the majority of other ions. We demonstrate the adaptability of this system for: gas exchange measurement on single leaves and whole plants; qRT-PCR to probe the transcriptional response of roots or shoots to altered nutrient composition in the growth solution (we demonstrate this using high and low calcium supply); producing highly competent mesophyll protoplasts; and, accelerating the screening of Arabidopsis transformants. This system is also ideal for manipulating plants for micropipette techniques such as electrophysiology or SiCSA. Conclusions We present an optimised plant hydroponic culture system that can be quickly and cheaply constructed, and produces plants with similar

THERMOREGULATION AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE: PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank E Marino

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Vol 53 (Medicine & Sport Science This collection on the latest interpretation of research data about the relationship between thermoregulation, exercise performance and fatigue is published as the 53rd volume of Medicine and Sport Science Journal. PURPOSE The book aims to explain how the advances in technology and methodology allowed studying the affects of the changing body temperature on metabolism and the role played by the nervous system in shaping human performance under challenging thermal situations. FEATURES This publication provides different interpretations of recent research for a better understanding of the limitations of thermoregulation in nine titles. The presented titles are: The Evolutionary Basis of Thermoregulation and Exercise Performance; Comparative Thermoregulation and the Quest for Athletic Supremacy; Thermoregulation, Fatigue and Exercise Modality; Neuromuscular Response to Exercise Heat Stress; Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction, Endotoxemia and Gastrointestinal Symptoms: The 'Canary in the Coal Mine' during Exercise-Heat Stress?; Effects of Peripheral Cooling on Characteristics of Local Muscle; Cooling Interventions for the Protection and Recovery of Exercise Performance from Exercise-Induced Heat Stress; Ethnicity and Temperature Regulation; Exercise Heat Stress and Metabolism. The evidence for the human's ability to adjust their performance according to the thermal limits in order to preserve cellular homeostasis is particularly noteworthy. AUDIENCE This is a fundamental book for any students and/or researchers involved in the fields of medicine, exercise physiology and human performance with special reference to thermal regulation. ASSESSMENT This publication is a must-read text for all those working in thermal medicine, exercise physiology and human performance fields

Physiological, biomechanical and anthropometrical predictors of sprint swimming performance in adolescent swimmers.

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Lätt, Evelin; Jürimäe, Jaak; Mäestu, Jarek; Purge, Priit; Rämson, Raul; Haljaste, Kaja; Keskinen, Kari L; Rodriguez, Ferran A; Jürimäe, Toivo

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between 100-m front crawl swimming performance and relevant biomechanical, anthropometrical and physiological parameters in male adolescent swimmers. Twenty five male swimmers (mean ± SD: age 15. 2 ± 1.9 years; height 1.76 ± 0.09 m; body mass 63.3 ± 10.9 kg) performed an all-out 100-m front crawl swimming test in a 25-m pool. A respiratory snorkel and valve system with low hydrodynamic resistance was used to collect expired air. Oxygen uptake was measured breath-by-breath by a portable metabolic cart. Swimming velocity, stroke rate (SR), stroke length and stroke index (SI) were assessed during the test by time video analysis. Blood samples for lactate measurement were taken from the fingertip pre exercise and at the third and fifth minute of recovery to estimate net blood lactate accumulation (ΔLa). The energy cost of swimming was estimated from oxygen uptake and blood lactate energy equivalent values. Basic anthropometry included body height, body mass and arm span. Body composition parameters were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results indicate that biomechanical factors (90.3%) explained most of 100-m front crawl swimming performance variability in these adolescent male swimmers, followed by anthropometrical (45.8%) and physiological (45.2%) parameters. SI was the best single predictor of performance, while arm span and ∆La were the best anthropometrical and physiological indicators, respectively. SI and SR alone explained 92.6% of the variance in competitive performance. These results confirm the importance of considering specific stroke technical parameters when predicting success in young swimmers. Key pointsThis study investigated the influence of different anthropometrical, physiological and biomechanical parameters on 100-m swimming performance in adolescent boys.Biomechanical factors contributed most to sprint swimming performance in these young male swimmers (90

Radial Growth and Physiological Response of Coniferous Trees to Arctic Amplification

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Tei, Shunsuke; Sugimoto, Atsuko; Liang, Maochang; Yonenobu, Hitoshi; Matsuura, Yojiro; Osawa, Akira; Sato, Hisashi; Fujinuma, Junichi; Maximov, Trofim

2017-11-01

We describe the physiological responses of boreal conifers to climate change for the past 112 years using ring-width and carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) chronologies at six forest sites in northern Eurasia and Canada. Responses differed among regions, depending on their climatic and/or geographic characteristics. Tree radial growth decreased over the past 52 years in central eastern Siberia with the higher rate of summer temperature increase than other regions, as indicated by the negative correlation between radial growth and summer temperature, but increased in northern Europe and Canada. Changes in tree-ring δ13C indicated that recent climatic conditions have induced stronger drought stress for trees from central eastern Siberia than for those from other regions. The observed tree growth trends were compared to those simulated using a dynamic global vegetation model. Although the modeled annual net primary production (NPP) for trees generally exhibited similar decadal variation to radial growth, simulations did not show a recent decrease in tree growth, even in central eastern Siberia. This was probably due to an overestimation of the sensitivity of modeled tree NPP to precipitation. Our results suggest that the tree NPP forecasted under the expected future increases in temperature and average precipitation might be overestimated, especially in severely dry regions such as central eastern Siberia.

Physiological and Biomechanical Mechanisms of Distance Specific Human Running Performance.

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Thompson, M A

2017-08-01

Running events range from 60-m sprints to ultra-marathons covering 100 miles or more, which presents an interesting diversity in terms of the parameters for successful performance. Here, we review the physiological and biomechanical variations underlying elite human running performance in sprint to ultramarathon distances. Maximal running speeds observed in sprint disciplines are achieved by high vertical ground reaction forces applied over short contact times. To create this high force output, sprint events rely heavily on anaerobic metabolism, as well as a high number and large cross-sectional area of type II fibers in the leg muscles. Middle distance running performance is characterized by intermediates of biomechanical and physiological parameters, with the possibility of unique combinations of each leading to high-level performance. The relatively fast velocities in mid-distance events require a high mechanical power output, though ground reaction forces are less than in sprinting. Elite mid-distance runners exhibit local muscle adaptations that, along with a large anaerobic capacity, provide the ability to generate a high power output. Aerobic capacity starts to become an important aspect of performance in middle distance events, especially as distance increases. In distance running events, V˙O2max is an important determinant of performance, but is relatively homogeneous in elite runners. V˙O2 and velocity at lactate threshold have been shown to be superior predictors of elite distance running performance. Ultramarathons are relatively new running events, as such, less is known about physiological and biomechanical parameters that underlie ultra-marathon performance. However, it is clear that performance in these events is related to aerobic capacity, fuel utilization, and fatigue resistance. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in

Growth and physiology of loblolly pine in response to long-term resource management: defining growth potential in the southern United States

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Lisa J. Samuelson; John Butnor; Chris Maier; Tom A. Stokes; Kurt Johnsen; Michael Kane

2008-01-01

Leaf physiology and stem growth were assessed in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) in response to 10 to 11 years of treatment with weed control (W), weed control plus irrigation (WI), weed control plus irrigation and fertigation (WIF), or weed control plus irrigation, fertigation, and pest control (WIFP) to determine whether increased resource...

Positive impact of bio-stimulators on growth and physiological activity of willow in climate change conditions

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Piotrowski, Krzysztof; Romanowska-Duda, Zdzisława

2018-04-01

The aim of this research was to evaluate the physiological activity and growth of willow (Salix viminalis L.) plants cultivated under the conditions of adverse temperature and soil moisture content, and to assess the effect of the foliar application of Biojodis (1.0%) and Asahi SL (0.03%) bio-stimulators, or a mixture of Microcistis aeruginosa MKR 0105 and Anabaena PCC 7120 cyanobacteria under such changing growth conditions. The obtained results showed different reactions to the applied constant or periodically changed temperature and soil moisture content. The plants which grew at periodically changed adverse temperature (from -5 to 40oC) or in scantily (20% m.c.) or excessively (60% m.c.) watered soils, grew slowly, in comparison with those growing at 20oC and in optimally moistened soil (30% m.c.). Foliar application of Biojodis and Asahi SL cyanobacteria increased the growth of willow at optimal and adverse temperature or in scantily and excessively moistened soil. The changes in plant growth were associated with the changes in electrolyte leakage, activity of acid or alkaline phosphatases, RNase, index of chlorophyll content in leaves and gas exchange. The above indicates that the foliar application of the studied cyanobacteria and bio-stimulators partly alleviates the harmful impact of adverse temperature and water stress on growth and physiological activity of willow plants

Immune physiology in tissue regeneration and aging, tumor growth, and regenerative medicine.

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Bukovsky, Antonin; Caudle, Michael R; Carson, Ray J; Gaytán, Francisco; Huleihel, Mahmoud; Kruse, Andrea; Schatten, Heide; Telleria, Carlos M

2009-02-13

The immune system plays an important role in immunity (immune surveillance), but also in the regulation of tissue homeostasis (immune physiology). Lessons from the female reproductive tract indicate that immune system related cells, such as intraepithelial T cells and monocyte-derived cells (MDC) in stratified epithelium, interact amongst themselves and degenerate whereas epithelial cells proliferate and differentiate. In adult ovaries, MDC and T cells are present during oocyte renewal from ovarian stem cells. Activated MDC are also associated with follicular development and atresia, and corpus luteum differentiation. Corpus luteum demise resembles rejection of a graft since it is attended by a massive influx of MDC and T cells resulting in parenchymal and vascular regression. Vascular pericytes play important roles in immune physiology, and their activities (including secretion of the Thy-1 differentiation protein) can be regulated by vascular autonomic innervation. In tumors, MDC regulate proliferation of neoplastic cells and angiogenesis. Tumor infiltrating T cells die among malignant cells. Alterations of immune physiology can result in pathology, such as autoimmune, metabolic, and degenerative diseases, but also in infertility and intrauterine growth retardation, fetal morbidity and mortality. Animal experiments indicate that modification of tissue differentiation (retardation or acceleration) during immune adaptation can cause malfunction (persistent immaturity or premature aging) of such tissue during adulthood. Thus successful stem cell therapy will depend on immune physiology in targeted tissues. From this point of view, regenerative medicine is more likely to be successful in acute rather than chronic tissue disorders.

Towards improved quantification of post-fire conifer mortality and recovery: Impacts of fire radiative flux on seedling and mature tree mortality, physiology, and growth

Science.gov (United States)

Sparks, A. M.; Kolden, C.; Smith, A. M.

2016-12-01

Fire activity, in terms of intensity, frequency, and total area burned, is expected to increase with changing climate. A challenge for landscape level assessment of fire effects, termed burn severity, is that current assessments provide very little information regarding vegetation physiological performance and recovery, limiting our understanding of fire effects on ecosystem services such as carbon storage/cycling. To address these limitations, we evaluated an alternative dose-response methodology for quantifying fire effects that attempts to bridge fire combustion dynamics and ecophysiology. Specifically, we conducted a highly controlled, laboratory assessment of seedling response to increasing doses of fire radiative energy applied through surface fires, for two western U.S. conifer species. Seedling physiology and spectral reflectance were acquired pre- and up to 1 year post-fire. Post-fire mortality, physiological performance, and spectral reflectance were strongly related with fire radiative energy density (FRED: J m-2) dose. To examine how these relationships change with tree size and age, we conducted small prescribed fires at the tree scale (35 m2) in a mature conifer stand. Radial growth and resin duct defenses were assessed on the mature conifer trees following the prescribed fires. Differences in dose-response relationships between seedlings and mature trees indicate the importance of fire behavior (e.g., flaming-dominated versus smoldering-dominated combustion) in characterizing these relationships. Ultimately, these results suggest that post-fire impacts on growth of surviving seedlings and mature trees require modes of heat transfer to impact tree canopies.

The effects of dietary protein levels on the population growth, performance, and physiology of honey bee workers during early spring.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Benle; Wu, Zaifu; Xu, Baohua

2014-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary protein levels on honey bee colonies, specifically the population growth, physiology, and longevity of honey bee workers during early spring. Diets containing four different levels of crude protein (25.0, 29.5, 34.0, or 38.5%) and pure pollen (control) were evaluated. Twenty-five colonies of honey bees with sister queens were used in the study. We compared the effects of the different bee diets by measuring population growth, emergent worker weight, midgut proteolytic enzyme activity, hypopharyngeal gland development, and survival. After 48 d, the cumulative number of workers produced by the colonies ranged from 22,420 to 29,519, providing a significant fit to a quadratic equation that predicts the maximum population growth when the diet contains 31.7% crude protein. Significantly greater emergent worker weight, midgut proteolytic enzyme activity, hypopharyngeal gland acini, and survival were observed in the colonies that were fed diets containing 34.0% crude protein compared with the other crude protein levels. Although higher emergent worker weight and survival were observed in the colonies that were fed the control diet, there were no significant differences between the control colonies and the colonies that were fed 34.0% crude protein. Based on these results, we concluded that a dietary crude protein content of 29.5-34.0% is recommended to maximize the reproduction rate of honey bee colonies in early spring. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Entomological Society of America.

Specific aspects of contemporary triathlon: implications for physiological analysis and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentley, David J; Millet, Grégoire P; Vleck, Verónica E; McNaughton, Lars R

2002-01-01

Triathlon competitions are performed over markedly different distances and under a variety of technical constraints. In 'standard-distance' triathlons involving 1.5km swim, 40km cycling and 10km running, a World Cup series as well as a World Championship race is available for 'elite' competitors. In contrast, 'age-group' triathletes may compete in 5-year age categories at a World Championship level, but not against the elite competitors. The difference between elite and age-group races is that during the cycle stage elite competitors may 'draft' or cycle in a sheltered position; age-group athletes complete the cycle stage as an individual time trial. Within triathlons there are a number of specific aspects that make the physiological demands different from the individual sports of swimming, cycling and running. The physiological demands of the cycle stage in elite races may also differ compared with the age-group format. This in turn may influence performance during the cycle leg and subsequent running stage. Wetsuit use and drafting during swimming (in both elite and age-group races) result in improved buoyancy and a reduction in frontal resistance, respectively. Both of these factors will result in improved performance and efficiency relative to normal pool-based swimming efforts. Overall cycling performance after swimming in a triathlon is not typically affected. However, it is possible that during the initial stages of the cycle leg the ability of an athlete to generate the high power outputs necessary for tactical position changes may be impeded. Drafting during cycling results in a reduction in frontal resistance and reduced energy cost at a given submaximal intensity. The reduced energy expenditure during the cycle stage results in an improvement in running, so an athlete may exercise at a higher percentage of maximal oxygen uptake. In elite triathlon races, the cycle courses offer specific physiological demands that may result in different fatigue responses

Effects of dietary protein level on growth, health and physiological parameters in growing-furring mink

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Birthe Marie; Larsen, Peter F.; Clausen, Tove

2012-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of the dietary protein level and the feeding strategy on growth, health and physiological blood and liver parameters in growing-furring male mink. Effects of dietary protein levels ranging from 22% of metabolizable energy (MEp) to experimental p...

The Limits of Exercise Physiology: From Performance to Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabriel, Brendan M; Zierath, Juleen R

2017-05-02

Many of the established positive health benefits of exercise have been documented by historical discoveries in the field of exercise physiology. These investigations often assess limits: the limits of performance, or the limits of exercise-induced health benefits. Indeed, several key findings have been informed by studying highly trained athletes, in addition to healthy or unhealthy people. Recent progress has been made in regard to skeletal muscle metabolism and personalized exercise regimes. In this perspective, we review some of the historical milestones of exercise physiology, discuss how these inform contemporary knowledge, and speculate on future questions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fifth workshop on seedling physiology and growth problems in oak plantings (abstracts).

Science.gov (United States)

Janette R. Thompson; Richard C. Schultz; J.W. Van Sambeek

1993-01-01

Research results and ongoing research activities in field performance of planted trees, seedling propagation, physiology, genetics, acorn germination, and natural regeneration for oaks are described in 30 abstracts.

Physiological Assessment of Wild and Hatchery Juvenile Salmonids : Final Report, 2003.

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Larsen, Donald A.; Beckman, Brian R.; Dickhoff, Walton W.

2003-08-01

It is generally held that hatchery-reared salmonids are of inferior quality and have lower smolt-to-adult survival compared to naturally-reared salmon. The overall objectives of the work performed under this contract were the following: (1) Characterize the physiology and development of naturally rearing juvenile salmonids to: (2) Allow for the design of effective rearing programs for producing wild-like smolts in supplementation and production hatchery programs. (3) Examine the relationship between growth rate and size on the physiology and migratory performance of fish reared in hatchery programs. (4) Examine the interaction of rearing temperature and feed rate on the growth and smoltification of salmon for use in producing a more wild-like smolt in hatchery programs.

Developmental light level affects growth, morphology, and leaf physiology of young carambola trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marler, T.E.; Schaffer, B.; Crane, J.H.

1994-01-01

Growth and leaf physiology responses of container-grown 'Arkin' carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) trees to long-term exposure of approximately 25%, approximately 50%, or 100% sunlight were studied in four experiments in Guam and Florida. Shading increased rachis length and leaflet area, and decreased leaflet thickness. Shaded trees also had a more horizontal branch orientation. Shading reduced dark respiration (Rd) and light compensation and saturation points but increased chlorophyll concentration and N-use efficiency. Light-saturated net CO2 assimilation (A) was not affected by developmental light level. Trees in full sun had smaller total leaf area, canopy diameter, and shoot:root ratio and exhibited leaflet movement to avoid direct solar radiation. Also, trees grown in 100% sunlight had a more vertical branch orientation and greater stomatal density than shaded trees. The ratio of variable to maximum fluorescence (Fv/Fm) declined during midday in 100% sunlight trees. This pattern was accompanied by a midday suppression of A in 100% sunlight-grown trees in Guam. 'Arkin' carambola trees exposed to approximately 25%, approximately 50%, or 100% sunlight for up to 39 weeks exhibited physiological and morphological adaptations that resulted in similar growth. These results indicate that carambola efficiently adapts to different developmental light intensities

Physiological correlates of skating performance in women's and men's ice hockey.

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Gilenstam, Kajsa M; Thorsen, Kim; Henriksson-Larsén, Karin B

2011-08-01

The purpose of the current investigation was to identify relationships between physiological off-ice tests and on-ice performance in female and male ice hockey players on a comparable competitive level. Eleven women, 24 ± 3.0 years, and 10 male ice hockey players, 23 ± 2.4 years, were tested for background variables: height, body weight (BW), ice hockey history, and lean body mass (LBM) and peak torque (PT) of the thigh muscles, VO2peak and aerobic performance (Onset of Blood Lactate Accumulation [OBLA], respiratory exchange ratio [RER1]) during an incremental bicycle ergometer test. Four different on-ice tests were used to measure ice skating performance. For women, skating time was positively correlated (p skating time was positively correlated to VO2peak (L O2·min(-1)) in the Acceleration test. The male group had significantly higher physiological test values in all variables (absolute and relative to BW) but not in relation to LBM. Selected off-ice tests predict skating performance for women but not for men. The group of women was significantly smaller and had a lower physiological performance than the group of men and were slower in the on-ice performance tests. However, gender differences in off-ice variables were reduced or disappeared when values were related to LBM, indicating a similar capacity of producing strength and aerobic power in female and male hockey players. Skating performance in female hockey players may be improved by increasing thigh muscle strength, oxygen uptake, and relative muscle mass.

Variation in growth, physiology, and yield of six sugarcane cultivars from across the globe in Florida

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Evaluation of sugarcane cultivars with diverse genetic background under similar location can help in better understanding cultivar response to environment and in identifying various physiological traits that could lead to improved yields. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth, yield...

Effect of various Na/K ratios in low-salinity well water on growth performance and physiological response of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hongyu; Tan, Beiping; Yang, Jinfang; Lin, Yingbo; Chi, Shuyan; Dong, Xiaohui; Yang, Qihui

2014-09-01

To investigate the influence of sodium to potassium (Na/K) ratios on the growth performance and physiological response of the Pacific white shrimp ( Litopenaeus vananmei), various concentrations of KCl were added to low-salinity well water (salinity 4) in an 8-week culture trial. Six treatments with Na/K ratios of 60:1, 42:1, 33:1, 23:1, 17:1, and 14:1 were replicated in triplicate. The highest weight-gain rate (3 506±48)% and survival rate (89.38±0.88)% was observed in well water with Na/K ratios of 23:1 and 42:1, respectively, while the feed conversion ratio (1.02±0.01), oxygen consumption, and ammonia-N excretion rate was the lowest in the medium with a Na/K ratio of 23:1. Gill Na+-K+-ATPase activity, as an indicator of osmoregulation, peaked in the treatment where the Na/K ratio was 17:1. The total hemocyte count, respiratory burst, and immune-related enzyme activities (ALP, LSZ, PO, and SOD) of L. vananmei were affected significantly by Na/K ratios ( Pshrimp reared in a Na/K ratio of 23:1 (30±14.14)% was significantly lower than the control (75±7.07)%. In conclusion, the addition of K+ to low-salinity well water in L. vannamei cultures is feasible. Na/K ratios ranging from 23:1 to 33:1 might improve survival and growth. Immunity and disease resistance are also closely related to the Na/K ratio of the low-salinity well water. The findings may contribute to the development of more efficient K + remediation strategies for L. vananmei culture in low-salinity well water.

Young Children's Reasoning about the Effects of Emotional and Physiological States on Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Amsterlaw, Jennifer; Lagattuta, Kristin Hansen; Meltzoff, Andrew N.

2009-01-01

This study assessed young children's understanding of the effects of emotional and physiological states on cognitive performance. Five, 6-, 7-year-olds, and adults (N = 96) predicted and explained how children experiencing a variety of physiological and emotional states would perform on academic tasks. Scenarios included: (a) negative and positive…

Physiological alterations associated with intrauterine growth restriction in fetal pigs: Causes and insights for nutritional optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junjun; Feng, Cuiping; Liu, Ting; Shi, Meng; Wu, Guoyao; Bazer, Fuller W

2017-09-01

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) remains a major problem in swine production since the associated low birth weight leads to high rates of pre-weaning morbidity and mortality plus permanent retardation of growth and development. Complex biological events-including genetics, epigenetics, maternal maturity, maternal nutrition, placenta efficiency, uterine capacity, and other environmental factors-can affect fetal growth and development during late gestation, as well as maturity of oocytes, duration of estrus, and both implantation and placentation of conceptuses in uteri of sows. Understanding the physiological changes related to initiation and progress of IUGR are, therefore, of great importance to formulate nutritional strategies that can mitigate IUGR in gilts and sows. Altering the nutritional status of sows prior to mating and during early-, mid-, and late-gestation may be effective at increasing the uniformity of oocytes and conceptuses, decreasing variation among conceptuses during elongation and implantation, and preventing increases in within-litter variation in fetal weights during late gestation. This review summarizes current progress on physiological alterations responsible for IUGR fetuses, as well as possible nutritional interventions to prevent the initiation and continuation of IUGR in gilts and sows. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physiological Plasticity to Water Flow Habitat in the Damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus: Linking Phenotype to Performance

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Binning, Sandra A.; Ros, Albert F. H.; Nusbaumer, David; Roche, Dominique G.

2015-01-01

The relationships among animal form, function and performance are complex, and vary across environments. Therefore, it can be difficult to identify morphological and/or physiological traits responsible for enhancing performance in a given habitat. In fishes, differences in swimming performance across water flow gradients are related to morphological variation among and within species. However, physiological traits related to performance have been less well studied. We experimentally reared juvenile damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus, under different water flow regimes to test 1) whether aspects of swimming physiology and morphology show plastic responses to water flow, 2) whether trait divergence correlates with swimming performance and 3) whether flow environment relates to performance differences observed in wild fish. We found that maximum metabolic rate, aerobic scope and blood haematocrit were higher in wave-reared fish compared to fish reared in low water flow. However, pectoral fin shape, which tends to correlate with sustained swimming performance, did not differ between rearing treatments or collection sites. Maximum metabolic rate was the best overall predictor of individual swimming performance; fin shape and fish total length were 3.3 and 3.7 times less likely than maximum metabolic rate to explain differences in critical swimming speed. Performance differences induced in fish reared in different flow environments were less pronounced than in wild fish but similar in direction. Our results suggest that exposure to water motion induces plastic physiological changes which enhance swimming performance in A. polyacanthus. Thus, functional relationships between fish morphology and performance across flow habitats should also consider differences in physiology. PMID:25807560

Meteorite-associated growth physiology of the iron oxidising extremophile Metallosphaera sedula

Science.gov (United States)

Zebec, Ziga; Rittmann, Simon; Schleper, Christa; Milojevic, Tetyana

2015-04-01

Extremophiles cherry pick the habitats at the edge of living limits, shaping the life under inhospitable conditions. Such microbes are characterised by functional capabilities required for survival in harsh and extreme environments. These living entities serve as models for a life on early Earth with its severe and ancient habitats, providing an understanding of the extent of biology on Earth, and enabling a discovery of its wider presence in the universe. The Fe-oxidising archaeon Metallosphaera sedula inhabits extreme environments, flourishing in hot acid and exhibiting unusual heavy-metal resistance. This chemolithotrophic archaea thrives at 73°C and pH 2, utilizing energy derived from metal oxidation. Iron and sulphur compounds are preferentially required for its growth. Owing its physiological versatility, M. sedula is able to grow efficiently chemoauto- and chemomixotrophically using pyrite, chalcopyrite or sulfur compounds as an energy source and can also grow heterotrophically using yeast extract representing an excellent model organism for basic research into bioleaching processes. Stimulated by its exceptional physiological properties, we have set out to assess the survival potential of M. sedula by investigating the viability of this archaeon living on and interacting with minerals of non-terrestrial origin. Initial results demonstrate that the iron oxidising thermoacidophile M. sedula utilizes metals trapped within stony meteorites as the most preferential energy source, resulting in i) one order of magnitude higher growth rate comparatively to the other energy substrates of terrestrial origin (sulfide ores, hydrogen, iron sulfate) ii) a drastic shift in a lower temperature limit for this microbe. A comprehensive complex of genetic, biochemical and geochemical techniques will be applied to analyze microbial-meteorite liaison.

Roles of gibberellin catabolism and signaling in growth and physiological response to drought and short-day photoperiods in Populus trees.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Zawaski

Full Text Available Survival and productivity of perennial plants in temperate zones are dependent on robust responses to prolonged and seasonal cycles of unfavorable conditions. Here we report whole-genome microarray, expression, physiological, and transgenic evidence in hybrid poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba showing that gibberellin (GA catabolism and repressive signaling mediates shoot growth inhibition and physiological adaptation in response to drought and short-day (SD induced bud dormancy. Both water deprivation and SDs elicited activation of a suite of poplar GA2ox and DELLA encoding genes. Poplar transgenics with up-regulated GA 2-oxidase (GA2ox and DELLA domain proteins showed hypersensitive growth inhibition in response to both drought and SDs. In addition, the transgenic plants displayed greater drought resistance as evidenced by increased pigment concentrations (chlorophyll and carotenoid and reductions in electrolyte leakage (EL. Comparative transcriptome analysis using whole-genome microarray showed that the GA-deficiency and GA-insensitivity, SD-induced dormancy, and drought response in poplar share a common regulon of 684 differentially-expressed genes, which suggest GA metabolism and signaling plays a role in plant physiological adaptations in response to alterations in environmental factors. Our results demonstrate that GA catabolism and repressive signaling represents a major route for control of growth and physiological adaptation in response to immediate or imminent adverse conditions.

Representation of the Physiological Factors Contributing to Postflight Changes in Functional Performance Using Motion Analysis Software

Science.gov (United States)

Parks, Kelsey

2010-01-01

Astronauts experience changes in multiple physiological systems due to exposure to the microgravity conditions of space flight. To understand how changes in physiological function influence functional performance, a testing procedure has been developed that evaluates both astronaut postflight functional performance and related physiological changes. Astronauts complete seven functional and physiological tests. The objective of this project is to use motion tracking and digitizing software to visually display the postflight decrement in the functional performance of the astronauts. The motion analysis software will be used to digitize astronaut data videos into stick figure videos to represent the astronauts as they perform the Functional Tasks Tests. This project will benefit NASA by allowing NASA scientists to present data of their neurological studies without revealing the identities of the astronauts.

Effect of coastal eutrophication on growth and physiology of Spartina alterniflora Loisel

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Cui, Baoshan; Xie, Tian; Wang, Qing; Yan, Jiaguo

2018-02-01

Coastal eutrophication has become a driver of coastal wetlands loss. Eutrophication caused by the increase of nitrogen content was one of the most main reasons. We analyzed that exogenous ammonium nitrogen (EAN) of different concentration influenced on the growth and physiology of Spartina alterniflora Loisel (S. alterniflora) through simulated conditions. The results showed that growth of the root system largely depended on the environment conditions around S. alterniflora. Higher nitrogen concentration promoted aboveground biomass and increased plant height. On the other hand, as the increase of growth period, higher nitrogen concentration could inhibit the elongation growth of root and reduce the underground biomass. We showed that activity of POD, SOD and MDA content changed in an upward trend along with the increased nitrogen level. There was a significant positive correlation between H+ flux and NO3- flux (r = 0.601, P < 0.01), and a significant negative correlation between H+ flux and NH4+ flux (r = -0.713, P < 0.01) within 1.5 mm from the root tip of S. alterniflora. Efflux and influx of ions were associated with changes of nitrogen levels. This research will provide data supporting for coastal wetland restoration of biodiversity reduction caused by coastal eutrophication.

An overview of artificial gravity. [effects on human performance and physiology

Science.gov (United States)

Stone, R. W., Jr.

1973-01-01

The unique characteristics of artificial gravity that affect human performance and physiology in an artificial gravity environment are reviewed. The rate at which these unique characteristics change decreases very rapidly with increasing radius of a rotating vehicle used to produce artificial gravity. Reducing their influence on human performance or physiology by increasing radius becomes a situation of very rapidly diminishing returns. A review of several elements of human performance has developed criteria relative to the sundry characteristics of artificial gravity. A compilation of these criteria indicates that the maximum acceptable rate of rotation, leg heaviness while walking, and material handling are the factors that define the minimum acceptable radius. The ratio of Coriolis force to artificial weight may also be significant. Based on current knowledge and assumptions for the various criteria, a minimum radius between 15.2 and 16.8 m seems desirable.

Unique aspects of competitive weightlifting: performance, training and physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Storey, Adam; Smith, Heather K

2012-09-01

development of weightlifters is ~15-20% and ~13-16% greater, respectively, than in other strength and power athletes. In addition, weightlifting training has been shown to reduce the typical sex-related difference in the expression of neuromuscular strength and power. However, this apparent sex-related difference appears to be augmented with increasing adult age demonstrating that women undergo a greater age-related decline in muscle shortening velocity and peak power when compared with men. Weightlifting training and competition has been shown to induce significant structural and functional adaptations of the cardiovascular system. The collective evidence shows that these adaptations are physiological as opposed to pathological. Finally, the acute exercise-induced testosterone, cortisol and growth hormone responses of weightlifters have similarities to that of following conventional strength and hypertrophy protocols involving large muscle mass exercises. The routine assessment of the basal testosterone : cortisol ratio may be beneficial when attempting to quantify the adaptive responses to weightlifting training. As competitive weightlifting is becoming increasingly popular around the world, further research addressing the physiological responses and adaptations of female weightlifters and younger (i.e. ≤17 years of age) and older (i.e. ≥35 years of age) weightlifters of both sexes is required.

Preliminary results of Physiological plant growth modelling for human life support in space

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidharan L, Swathy; Dussap, Claude-Gilles; Hezard, Pauline

2012-07-01

Human life support is fundamental and crucial in any kind of space explorations. MELiSSA project of European Space Agency aims at developing a closed, artificial ecological life support system involving human, plants and micro organisms. Consuming carbon dioxide and water from the life support system, plants grow in one of the chambers and convert it into food and oxygen along with potable water. The environmental conditions, nutrient availability and its consumption of plants should be studied and necessarily modeled to predict the amount of food, oxygen and water with respect to the environmental changes and limitations. The reliability of a completely closed system mainly depends on the control laws and strategies used. An efficient control can occur, only if the system to control is itself well known, described and ideally if the responses of the system to environmental changes are predictable. In this aspect, the general structure of plant growth model has been designed together with physiological modelling.The physiological model consists of metabolic models of leaves, stem and roots, of which concern specific metabolisms of the associated plant parts. On the basis of the carbon source transport (eg. sucrose) through stem, the metabolic models (leaf and root) can be interconnected to each other and finally coupled to obtain the entire plant model. For the first step, leaf metabolic model network was built using stoichiometric, mass and energy balanced metabolic equations under steady state approach considering all necessary plant pathways for growth and maintenance of leaves. As the experimental data for lettuce plants grown in closed and controlled environmental chambers were available, the leaf metabolic model has been established for lettuce leaves. The constructed metabolic network is analyzed using known stoichiometric metabolic technique called metabolic flux analysis (MFA). Though, the leaf metabolic model alone is not sufficient to achieve the

Growth and physiological responses of maize (Zea mays L.) to porous silica nanoparticles in soil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suriyaprabha, R.; Karunakaran, G.; Yuvakkumar, R.; Prabu, P.; Rajendran, V., E-mail: veerajendran@gmail.com [K. S. Rangasamy College of Technology, Centre for Nano Science and Technology (India); Kannan, N. [K. S. Rangasamy College of Arts and Science, Department of Biotechnology (India)

2012-12-15

The present study aims to explore the effect of high surface area (360.85 m{sup 2} g{sup -1}) silica nanoparticles (SNPs) (20-40 nm) extracted from rice husk on the physiological and anatomical changes during maize growth in sandy loam soil at four concentrations (5-20 kg ha{sup -1}) in comparison with bulk silica (15-20 kg ha{sup -1}). The plant responses to nano and bulk silica treatments were analyzed in terms of growth characteristics, phyto compounds such as total protein, chlorophyll, and other organic compounds (gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy), and silica accumulation (high-resolution scanning electron microscopy). Growth characteristics were much influenced with increasing concentration of SNPs up to 15 kg ha{sup -1} whereas at 20 kg ha{sup -1}, no significant increments were noticed. Silica accumulation in leaves was high at 10 and 15 kg ha{sup -1} (0.57 and 0.82 %) concentrations of SNPs. The observed physiological changes show that the expression of organic compounds such as proteins, chlorophyll, and phenols favored to maize treated with nanosilica especially at 15 kg ha{sup -1} compared with bulk silica and control. Nanoscale silica regimes at 15 kg ha{sup -1} has a positive response of maize than bulk silica which help to improve the sustainable farming of maize crop as an alternative source of silica fertilizer.

Genotypic Differences in Growth and Physiological Responses to Transplanting and Direct Seeding Cultivation in Rice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Song Chen

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The field experiments were conducted to investigate the growth and physiological responses of six super hybrid rice combinations to two planting methods, transplanting (TP and direct seeding (DS during 2006–2007 and 2007–2008. The 1000-grain weight and number of tillers per plant at the early growth stage, the maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm and transpiration rate (Tr were higher in DS plants than in TP ones, whereas the grain yield, number of panicles per square meter, seed setting rate, net photosynthetic rate (Pn and stomatal conductance were lower in DS plants. However, little difference was detected in number of grains per panicle, stem (shoot and leaf weight between the combinations in the two planting methods. The responses of plant growth and physiological traits to planting method differed greatly among the six combinations. In both planting methods, Chouyou 58 and Yongyou 6 had the highest and lowest panicle biomass and Pn, respectively. The higher yield of Chunyou 58 was associated with more numbers of panicles per square meter and grains per panicle in both planting methods. The results indicate that lower grain yield in DS relative to TP is attributed to more excessive tillers at the early stage, lower leaf biomass and photosynthetic rate at the late stage.

Ocean acidification modulates expression of genes and physiological performance of a marine diatom

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Y.; Zhuang, S.; Wu, Y.; Ren, H.; Cheng, F.; Lin, X.; Wang, K.; Beardall, J.; Gao, K.

2015-09-01

Ocean Acidification (OA) is known to affect various aspects of the physiological performance of diatoms, but there is little information on the underlining molecular mechanisms involved. Here, we show that in the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum expression of the genes related to light harvesting, carbon acquisition and carboxylation, nitrite assimilation and ATP synthesis are modulated by OA. Growth and photosynthetic carbon fixation were enhanced by elevated CO2 (1000 μatm) under both constant indoor and fluctuating outdoor light regimes. The genetic expression of nitrite reductase (NiR) was up-regulated by OA regardless of light levels and/or regimes. The transcriptional expression of fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c protein (lhcf type (FCP)) and mitochondrial ATP synthase (mtATP synthase) genes were also enhanced by OA, but only under high light intensity. OA treatment decreased the expression of β-carbonic anhydrase (β-CA) along with down-regulation of CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). Additionally, the genes for these proteins (NiR, FCP, mtATP synthase, β-CA) showed diel expressions either under constant indoor light or fluctuating sunlight. Thus, OA enhanced photosynthetic and growth rates by stimulating nitrogen assimilation and indirectly by down-regulating the energy-costly inorganic carbon acquisition process.

Effects of exercise on tumor physiology and metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Line; Christensen, Jesper Frank; Hojman, Pernille

2015-01-01

Exercise is a potent regulator of a range of physiological processes in most tissues. Solid epidemiological data show that exercise training can reduce disease risk and mortality for several cancer diagnoses, suggesting that exercise training may directly regulate tumor physiology and metabolism. Here, we review the body of literature describing exercise intervention studies performed in rodent tumor models and elaborate on potential mechanistic effects of exercise on tumor physiology. Exercise has been shown to reduce tumor incidence, tumor multiplicity, and tumor growth across numerous different transplantable, chemically induced or genetic tumor models. We propose 4 emerging mechanistic effects of exercise, including (1) vascularization and blood perfusion, (2) immune function, (3) tumor metabolism, and (4) muscle-to-cancer cross-talk, and discuss these in details. In conclusion, exercise training has the potential to be a beneficial and integrated component of cancer management, but has yet to fully elucidate its potential. Understanding the mechanistic effects of exercise on tumor physiology is warranted. Insight into these mechanistic effects is emerging, but experimental intervention studies are still needed to verify the cause-effect relationship between these mechanisms and the control of tumor growth.

Do physiological measures predict selected CrossFit® benchmark performance?

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Butcher SJ

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Scotty J Butcher,1,2 Tyler J Neyedly,3 Karla J Horvey,1 Chad R Benko2,41Physical Therapy, University of Saskatchewan, 2BOSS Strength Institute, 3Physiology, University of Saskatchewan, 4Synergy Strength and Conditioning, Saskatoon, SK, CanadaPurpose: CrossFit® is a new but extremely popular method of exercise training and competition that involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. Despite the popularity of this training method, the physiological determinants of CrossFit performance have not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine whether physiological and/or muscle strength measures could predict performance on three common CrossFit "Workouts of the Day" (WODs.Materials and methods: Fourteen CrossFit Open or Regional athletes completed, on separate days, the WODs "Grace" (30 clean and jerks for time, "Fran" (three rounds of thrusters and pull-ups for 21, 15, and nine repetitions, and "Cindy" (20 minutes of rounds of five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and 15 bodyweight squats, as well as the "CrossFit Total" (1 repetition max [1RM] back squat, overhead press, and deadlift, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max, and Wingate anaerobic power/capacity testing.Results: Performance of Grace and Fran was related to whole-body strength (CrossFit Total (r=-0.88 and -0.65, respectively and anaerobic threshold (r=-0.61 and -0.53, respectively; however, whole-body strength was the only variable to survive the prediction regression for both of these WODs (R2=0.77 and 0.42, respectively. There were no significant associations or predictors for Cindy.Conclusion: CrossFit benchmark WOD performance cannot be predicted by VO2max, Wingate power/capacity, or either respiratory compensation or anaerobic thresholds. Of the data measured, only whole-body strength can partially explain performance on Grace and Fran, although anaerobic threshold also exhibited association with performance. Along with their typical training

Physiological and biochemical characterization of Azospirillum brasilense strains commonly used as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria.

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Di Salvo, Luciana P; Silva, Esdras; Teixeira, Kátia R S; Cote, Rosalba Esquivel; Pereyra, M Alejandra; García de Salamone, Inés E

2014-12-01

Azospirillum is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) genus vastly studied and utilized as agriculture inoculants. Isolation of new strains under different environmental conditions allows the access to the genetic diversity and improves the success of inoculation procedures. Historically, the isolation of this genus has been performed by the use of some traditional culture media. In this work we characterized the physiology and biochemistry of five different A. brasilense strains, commonly used as cereal inoculants. The aim of this work is to contribute to pose into revision some concepts concerning the most used protocols to isolate and characterize this bacterium. We characterized their growth in different traditional and non-traditional culture media, evaluated some PGPR mechanisms and characterized their profiles of fatty acid methyl esters and carbon-source utilization. This work shows, for the first time, differences in both profiles, and ACC deaminase activity of A. brasilense strains. Also, we show unexpected results obtained in some of the evaluated culture media. Results obtained here and an exhaustive knowledge revision revealed that it is not appropriate to conclude about bacterial species without analyzing several strains. Also, it is necessary to continue developing studies and laboratory techniques to improve the isolation and characterization protocols. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Physiological levels of nitrate support anoxic growth by denitrification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at growth rates reported in cystic fibrosis lungs and sputum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Line, Laura; Alhede, Morten; Kolpen, Mette

2014-01-01

denitrification. The growth rate of P. aeruginosa achieved by denitrification at physiological levels (~400 μM) of nitrate (NO(-) 3) is however, not known. Therefore, we have measured growth rates of anoxic cultures of PAO1 and clinical isolates (n = 12) in LB media supplemented with NO(-) 3 and found...... a significant increase of growth when supplementing PAO1 and clinical isolates with ≥150 μM NO(-) 3 and 100 μM NO(-) 3, respectively. An essential contribution to growth by denitrification was demonstrated by the inability to establish a significantly increased growth rate by a denitrification deficient Δnir...... of the four N-oxide reductases in PAO1 (Nar, Nir, Nor, Nos) further verified the engagement of denitrification, showing a transient increase in activation and expression and rapid consumption of NO(-) 3 followed by a transient increase of NO(-) 2. Growth rates obtained by denitrification in this study were...

Physiological minimum temperatures for root growth in seven common European broad-leaved tree species.

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Schenker, Gabriela; Lenz, Armando; Körner, Christian; Hoch, Günter

2014-03-01

Temperature is the most important factor driving the cold edge distribution limit of temperate trees. Here, we identified the minimum temperatures for root growth in seven broad-leaved tree species, compared them with the species' natural elevational limits and identified morphological changes in roots produced near their physiological cold limit. Seedlings were exposed to a vertical soil-temperature gradient from 20 to 2 °C along the rooting zone for 18 weeks. In all species, the bulk of roots was produced at temperatures above 5 °C. However, the absolute minimum temperatures for root growth differed among species between 2.3 and 4.2 °C, with those species that reach their natural distribution limits at higher elevations also tending to have lower thermal limits for root tissue formation. In all investigated species, the roots produced at temperatures close to the thermal limit were pale, thick, unbranched and of reduced mechanical strength. Across species, the specific root length (m g(-1) root) was reduced by, on average, 60% at temperatures below 7 °C. A significant correlation of minimum temperatures for root growth with the natural high elevation limits of the investigated species indicates species-specific thermal requirements for basic physiological processes. Although these limits are not necessarily directly causative for the upper distribution limit of a species, they seem to belong to a syndrome of adaptive processes for life at low temperatures. The anatomical changes at the cold limit likely hint at the mechanisms impeding meristematic activity at low temperatures.

Playing vs. nonplaying aerobic training in tennis: physiological and performance outcomes.

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Vincent Pialoux

Full Text Available This study compared the effects of playing and nonplaying high intensity intermittent training (HIIT on physiological demands and tennis stroke performance in young tennis players. Eleven competitive male players (13.4 ± 1.3 years completed both a playing and nonplaying HIIT session of equal distance, in random order. During each HIIT session, heart rate (HR, blood lactate, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE were monitored. Before and after each HIIT session, the velocity and accuracy of the serve, and forehand and backhand strokes were evaluated. The results demonstrated that both HIIT sessions achieved an average HR greater than 90% HRmax. The physiological demands (average HR were greater during the playing session compared to the nonplaying session, despite similar lactate concentrations and a lower RPE. The results also indicate a reduction in shot velocity after both HIIT sessions; however, the playing HIIT session had a more deleterious effect on stroke accuracy. These findings suggest that 1 both HIIT sessions may be sufficient to develop maximal aerobic power, 2 playing HIIT sessions provide a greater physiological demand with a lower RPE, and 3 playing HIIT has a greater deleterious effect on stroke performance, and in particular on the accuracy component of the ground stroke performance, and should be incorporated appropriately into a periodization program in young male tennis players.

Playing vs. Nonplaying Aerobic Training in Tennis: Physiological and Performance Outcomes

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Pialoux, Vincent; Genevois, Cyril; Capoen, Arnaud; Forbes, Scott C.; Thomas, Jordan; Rogowski, Isabelle

2015-01-01

This study compared the effects of playing and nonplaying high intensity intermittent training (HIIT) on physiological demands and tennis stroke performance in young tennis players. Eleven competitive male players (13.4 ± 1.3 years) completed both a playing and nonplaying HIIT session of equal distance, in random order. During each HIIT session, heart rate (HR), blood lactate, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored. Before and after each HIIT session, the velocity and accuracy of the serve, and forehand and backhand strokes were evaluated. The results demonstrated that both HIIT sessions achieved an average HR greater than 90% HRmax. The physiological demands (average HR) were greater during the playing session compared to the nonplaying session, despite similar lactate concentrations and a lower RPE. The results also indicate a reduction in shot velocity after both HIIT sessions; however, the playing HIIT session had a more deleterious effect on stroke accuracy. These findings suggest that 1) both HIIT sessions may be sufficient to develop maximal aerobic power, 2) playing HIIT sessions provide a greater physiological demand with a lower RPE, and 3) playing HIIT has a greater deleterious effect on stroke performance, and in particular on the accuracy component of the ground stroke performance, and should be incorporated appropriately into a periodization program in young male tennis players. PMID:25816346

Sleep and athletic performance: the effects of sleep loss on exercise performance, and physiological and cognitive responses to exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Fullagar, Hugh H K; Skorski, Sabrina; Duffield, Rob; Hammes, Daniel; Coutts, Aaron J; Meyer, Tim

2015-02-01

Although its true function remains unclear, sleep is considered critical to human physiological and cognitive function. Equally, since sleep loss is a common occurrence prior to competition in athletes, this could significantly impact upon their athletic performance. Much of the previous research has reported that exercise performance is negatively affected following sleep loss; however, conflicting findings mean that the extent, influence, and mechanisms of sleep loss affecting exercise performance remain uncertain. For instance, research indicates some maximal physical efforts and gross motor performances can be maintained. In comparison, the few published studies investigating the effect of sleep loss on performance in athletes report a reduction in sport-specific performance. The effects of sleep loss on physiological responses to exercise also remain equivocal; however, it appears a reduction in sleep quality and quantity could result in an autonomic nervous system imbalance, simulating symptoms of the overtraining syndrome. Additionally, increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines following sleep loss could promote immune system dysfunction. Of further concern, numerous studies investigating the effects of sleep loss on cognitive function report slower and less accurate cognitive performance. Based on this context, this review aims to evaluate the importance and prevalence of sleep in athletes and summarises the effects of sleep loss (restriction and deprivation) on exercise performance, and physiological and cognitive responses to exercise. Given the equivocal understanding of sleep and athletic performance outcomes, further research and consideration is required to obtain a greater knowledge of the interaction between sleep and performance.

Effects of competitive pressure on expert performance: underlying psychological, physiological, and kinematic mechanisms.

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Cooke, Andrew; Kavussanu, Maria; McIntyre, David; Boardley, Ian D; Ring, Christopher

2011-08-01

Although it is well established that performance is influenced by competitive pressure, our understanding of the mechanisms which underlie the pressure-performance relationship is limited. The current experiment examined mediators of the relationship between competitive pressure and motor skill performance of experts. Psychological, physiological, and kinematic responses to three levels of competitive pressure were measured in 50 expert golfers, during a golf putting task. Elevated competitive pressure increased putting accuracy, anxiety, effort, and heart rate, but decreased grip force. Quadratic effects of pressure were noted for self-reported conscious processing and impact velocity. Mediation analyses revealed that effort and heart rate partially mediated improved performance. The findings indicate that competitive pressure elicits effects on expert performance through both psychological and physiological pathways. Copyright © 2011 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PLANTS IN HIGH SALINITY

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O. M. Vasilyuk

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The effect of increasing salinity to the morpho-metric parameters of Salix alba L., which dominated in the coastal areas on rivers of Steppe Dnieper, is investigated. We added Mg as salt MgSO4 * 3H2O in the range of concentration: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g/l in a solution of willow cuttings. In the solution was added and plant growth regulator "Kornevin" the synthetic origin. The negative effect of salt at a concentration from 1.0 g/l to 2.5 g/l in the dynamics of growth and development was found. The correlation between the size and salinity in dynamics of growth and development of plant were demonstrated: in the growth of shoots (R = 0.83, 0.91 and 0.95, in the growth of roots (R = 0.92, 0.68 and 0.84 respectively depended from salt concentration. The length of the leaf blade was from 4% to 8%, from 7% to 43%, from 333% to 11% (R = 0,68, 0,93, 0,61, depending on the concentration of salt and during observing compared with control (distilled water. "Kornevin" and combined effect of salt increased the length of the leaf blade growth by 4-5, 2-4, 3-5 times, the roots by7 and 3-14 times, the shoots by 3-4, 6-7 and 5-7 times in the dynamics of growth compared with control (MgSO4, 2,5 g/l. The recommendations regarding for the advisability of using the plant growth regulator "Kornevin", as very effective plant growth preparation that promoted rooting and activated physiological processes of plant organism, expressed protective effect in conditions of excessive salinity, were provided. Key words: the morpho-metric index, the plant growth regulators, abiotic factors, salinity factor, the adaptation.

Growth and Physiology of Senegalia senegal (L. Britton Seedlings as Influenced by Seed Origin and Salinity and Fertility Treatments

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Mame Sokhna Sarr

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Multipurpose trees such as Senegalia senegal are widespread in arid and semi-arid lands that have natural or induced saline soils and poor soil fertility. Such environmental problems impact growth and have the potential to influence plant physiological adaptations. Identifying superior genotypes better adapted to these environmental stresses will be of great importance for tree selection for reclamation of degraded drylands. The main objective of this study was to examine the growth performance, and physiological and morphological adaptations to salinity, and fertility treatments of different Senegalia senegal families. We used five families (DB16, DB14, K4B19, K17B19, NB1 selected from 60 families of a Senegalia senegal progeny trial in Dahra, Senegal. Seedlings were grown under greenhouse conditions by watering all plants for three weeks and then stopping all watering for three more weeks. In a randomized complete block design, a two-level factorial combination was used for salinity (zero and 183.1 mM NaCl added and fertility (zero and 100 kg/ha N-P-K added treatments. A significant family × salt × fertilizer interaction was found for all biomass parameters (leaf dry matter, stem dry matter, root dry matter, and leaf area. The fertilizer application resulted in a significant increase of total biomass of all families, ranging from 63% to 237% for NB1 and K17B19, respectively. In contrast, salt only decreased total biomass of NB1 and K17B19 increased growth. Despite similar net photosynthetic rates before treatment started, fertilizer and salinity induced different effects between families. Prior to drought stress, fertilizer did not affect photosynthesis of DB16, while salt significantly decreased stomatal conductance of all families. DB16 and N1B1, despite significant differences of stomata size and density, significantly decreased transpiration, and thereby increased their intrinsic water use efficiency. Under drought, relative growth rate

Behaviour and physiology shape the growth accelerations associated with predation risk, high temperatures and southern latitudes in Ischnura damselfly larvae.

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Stoks, Robby; Swillen, Ine; De Block, Marjan

2012-09-01

1. To better predict effects of climate change and predation risk on prey animals and ecosystems, we need studies documenting not only latitudinal patterns in growth rate but also growth plasticity to temperature and predation risk and the underlying proximate mechanisms: behaviour (food intake) and digestive physiology (growth efficiency). The mechanistic underpinnings of predator-induced growth increases remain especially poorly understood. 2. We reared larvae from replicated northern and southern populations of the damselfly Ischnura elegans in a common garden experiment manipulating temperature and predation risk and quantified growth rate, food intake and growth efficiency. 3. The predator-induced and temperature-induced growth accelerations were the same at both latitudes, despite considerably faster growth rates in the southern populations. While the higher growth rates in the southern populations and the high rearing temperature were driven by both an increased food intake and a higher growth efficiency, the higher growth rates under predation risk were completely driven by a higher growth efficiency, despite a lowered food intake. 4. The emerging pattern that higher growth rates associated with latitude, temperature and predation risk were all (partly or completely) mediated by a higher growth efficiency has two major implications. First, it indicates that energy allocation trade-offs and the associated physiological costs play a major role both in shaping large-scale geographic variation in growth rates and in shaping the extent and direction of growth rate plasticity. Secondly, it suggests that the efficiency of energy transfer in aquatic food chains, where damselfly larvae are important intermediate predators, will be higher in southern populations, at higher temperatures and under predation risk. This may eventually contribute to the lengthening of food chains under these conditions and highlights that the prey identity may determine the influence of

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Express Type 1 Fimbriae Only in Surface Adherent Populations Under Physiological Growth Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stærk, Kristian; Kolmos, Hans Jørn; Khandige, Surabhi

2016-01-01

were correlated with the ability to adhere to and invade cultured human bladder cells. RESULTS:  Although inactive during planktonic growth in urine, T1F expression occurs when UPEC settles on and infects bladder epithelial cells or colonizes catheters. As a result, UPEC in these sessile populations...... with increased expression during surface growth adaptation and infection of uroepithelial cells. This leads to separation of UPEC into low-expression planktonic populations and high-expression sessile populations....... enhances bladder cell adhesion and invasion potential. Only T1F-negative UPEC are subsequently released to the urine, thus limiting T1F expression to surface-associated UPEC alone. CONCLUSION:  Our results demonstrate that T1F expression is strictly regulated under physiological growth conditions...

Multiple Days of Heat Exposure on Firefighters' Work Performance and Physiology.

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Larsen, Brianna; Snow, Rod; Vincent, Grace; Tran, Jacqueline; Wolkow, Alexander; Aisbett, Brad

2015-01-01

This study assessed the accumulated effect of ambient heat on the performance of, and physiological and perceptual responses to, intermittent, simulated wildfire fighting tasks over three consecutive days. Firefighters (n = 36) were matched and allocated to either the CON (19°C) or HOT (33°C) condition. They performed three days of intermittent, self-paced simulated firefighting work, interspersed with physiological testing. Task repetitions were counted (and converted to distance or area) to determine work performance. Participants were asked to rate their perceived exertion and thermal sensation after each task. Heart rate, core temperature (Tc), and skin temperature (Tsk) were recorded continuously throughout the simulation. Fluids were consumed ad libitum. Urine volume was measured throughout, and urine specific gravity (USG) analysed, to estimate hydration. All food and fluid consumption was recorded. There was no difference in work output between experimental conditions. However, significant variation in performance responses between individuals was observed. All measures of thermal stress were elevated in the HOT, with core and skin temperature reaching, on average, 0.24 ± 0.08°C and 2.81 ± 0.20°C higher than the CON group. Participants' doubled their fluid intake in the HOT condition, and this was reflected in the USG scores, where the HOT participants reported significantly lower values. Heart rate was comparable between conditions at nearly all time points, however the peak heart rate reached each circuit was 7 ± 3% higher in the CON trial. Likewise, RPE was slightly elevated in the CON trial for the majority of tasks. Participants' work output was comparable between the CON and HOT conditions, however the performance change over time varied significantly between individuals. It is likely that the increased fluid replacement in the heat, in concert with frequent rest breaks and task rotation, assisted with the regulation of physiological responses

[Individual physical performance capacity with physiological and biochemical indicators of stress].

Science.gov (United States)

Bergert, K D; Nestler, K; Böttger, H; Schettler, R

1989-09-01

22 health male subjects were exposed by a combination of physical exercises and heat. Strain related physiological and biochemical parameters were measured. Different individual reactions were obtained under controlled conditions. In dependence on the individual performance an increased mobilisation of lactat, free fatty acids and catecholamines were found. The determination of aerob physical performance can be applied for the evaluation of working capacity.

Is physiological performance a good predictor for fitness? Insights from an invasive plant species.

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Marco A Molina-Montenegro

Full Text Available Is physiological performance a suitable proxy of fitness in plants? Although, several studies have been conducted to measure some fitness-related traits and physiological performance, direct assessments are seldom found in the literature. Here, we assessed the physiology-fitness relationship using second-generation individuals of the invasive plant species Taraxacum officinale from 17 localities distributed in five continents. Specifically, we tested if i the maximum quantum yield is a good predictor for seed-output ii whether this physiology-fitness relationship can be modified by environmental heterogeneity, and iii if this relationship has an adaptive consequence for T. officinale individuals from different localities. Overall, we found a significant positive relationship between the maximum quantum yield and fitness for all localities evaluated, but this relationship decreased in T. officinale individuals from localities with greater environmental heterogeneity. Finally, we found that those individuals from localities where environmental conditions are highly seasonal performed better under heterogeneous environmental conditions. Contrarily, under homogeneous controlled conditions, those individuals from localities with low environmental seasonality performed much better. In conclusion, our results suggest that the maximum quantum yield seem to be good predictors for plant fitness. We suggest that rapid measurements, such as those obtained from the maximum quantum yield, could provide a straightforward proxy of individual's fitness in changing environments.

Identification of water use strategies at early growth stages in durum wheat from shoot phenotyping and physiological measurements.

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ALIREZA NAKHFOROOSH

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Modern imaging technology provides new approaches to plant phenotyping for traits relevant to crop yield and resource efficiency. Our objective was to investigate water use strategies at early growth stages in durum wheat genetic resources using shoot imaging at the ScreenHouse phenotyping facility combined with physiological measurements. 12 durum landraces from different pedoclimatic backgrounds were compared to three modern check cultivars in a greenhouse pot experiment under well watered (75 % plant available water, PAW and drought (25 % PAW conditions. Transpiration rate was analyzed for the underlying main morphological (leaf area duration and physiological (stomata conductance factors. Combining both morphological and physiological regulation of transpiration, four distinct water use types were identified. Most landraces had high transpiration rates either due to extensive leaf area (area types or both large leaf areas together with high stomata conductance (spender types. All modern cultivars were distinguished by high stomata conductance with comparatively compact canopies (conductance types. Only few landraces were water saver types with both small canopy and low stomata conductance. During early growth, genotypes with large leaf area had high dry-matter accumulation under both well watered and drought conditions compared to genotypes with compact stature. However, high stomata conductance was the basis to achieve high dry matter per unit leaf area, indicating high assimilation capacity as a key for productivity in modern cultivars. We conclude that the identified water use strategies based on early growth shoot phenotyping combined with stomata conductance provide an appropriate framework for targeted selection of distinct pre-breeding material adapted to different types of water limited environments.

Identification of Water Use Strategies at Early Growth Stages in Durum Wheat from Shoot Phenotyping and Physiological Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Nakhforoosh, Alireza; Bodewein, Thomas; Fiorani, Fabio; Bodner, Gernot

2016-01-01

Modern imaging technology provides new approaches to plant phenotyping for traits relevant to crop yield and resource efficiency. Our objective was to investigate water use strategies at early growth stages in durum wheat genetic resources using shoot imaging at the ScreenHouse phenotyping facility combined with physiological measurements. Twelve durum landraces from different pedoclimatic backgrounds were compared to three modern check cultivars in a greenhouse pot experiment under well-watered (75% plant available water, PAW) and drought (25% PAW) conditions. Transpiration rate was analyzed for the underlying main morphological (leaf area duration) and physiological (stomata conductance) factors. Combining both morphological and physiological regulation of transpiration, four distinct water use types were identified. Most landraces had high transpiration rates either due to extensive leaf area (area types) or both large leaf areas together with high stomata conductance (spender types). All modern cultivars were distinguished by high stomata conductance with comparatively compact canopies (conductance types). Only few landraces were water saver types with both small canopy and low stomata conductance. During early growth, genotypes with large leaf area had high dry-matter accumulation under both well-watered and drought conditions compared to genotypes with compact stature. However, high stomata conductance was the basis to achieve high dry matter per unit leaf area, indicating high assimilation capacity as a key for productivity in modern cultivars. We conclude that the identified water use strategies based on early growth shoot phenotyping combined with stomata conductance provide an appropriate framework for targeted selection of distinct pre-breeding material adapted to different types of water limited environments. PMID:27547208

The effect of lichen-dominated biological soil crusts on growth and physiological characteristics of three plant species in a temperate desert of northwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuang, W W; Serpe, M; Zhang, Y M

2015-11-01

Biocrusts (biological soil crusts) cover open spaces between vascular plants in most arid and semi-arid areas. Information on effects of biocrusts on seedling growth is controversial, and there is little information on their effects on plant growth and physiology. We examined impacts of biocrusts on growth and physiological characteristics of three habitat-typical plants, Erodium oxyrhynchum, Alyssum linifolium and Hyalea pulchella, growing in the Gurbantunggut Desert, northwest China. The influence of biocrusts on plant biomass, leaf area, leaf relative water content, photosynthesis, maximum quantum efficiency of PSII (F(v)/F(m)), chlorophyll, osmotic solutes (soluble sugars, protein, proline) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase) was investigated on sites with or without biocrust cover. Biomass, leaf area, leaf water content, photosynthesis, F(v)/F(m) and chlorophyll content in crusted soils were higher than in uncrusted soils during early growth and lower later in the growth period. Soluble sugars, proline and antioxidant enzyme activity were always higher in crusted than in uncrusted soils, while soluble protein content was always lower. These findings indicate that biocrusts have different effects on these three ephemeral species during growth in this desert, primarily via effects on soil moisture, and possibly on soil nutrients. The influence of biocrusts changes during plant development: in early plant growth, biocrusts had either positive or no effect on growth and physiological parameters. However, biocrusts tended to negatively influence plants during later growth. Our results provide insights to explain why previous studies have found different effects of biocrusts on vascular plant growth. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Timing effects of heat-stress on plant physiological characteristics and growth: a field study with prairie vegetation

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Dan Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available More intense, more frequent, and longer heat-waves are expected in the future due to global warming, which could have dramatic agricultural, economic and ecological impacts. This field study examined how plant responded to heat-stress (HS treatment at different timing in naturally-occurring vegetation. HS treatment (5 days at 40.5 ºC were applied to 12 1m2 plots in restored prairie vegetation dominated by Andropogon gerardii (warm-season C4 grass and Solidago canadensis (warm-season C3 forb at different growing stages. During and after HS, air, canopy, and soil temperature were monitored; net CO2 assimilation (Pn, quantum yield of photosystem II (ФPSII, stomatal conductance (gs, and internal CO2 level (Ci of the dominant species were measured. One week after the last HS treatment, all plots were harvested and the biomass of above-ground tissue and flower weight of the two dominant species was determined. HS decreased physiological performance and growth for both species, with S. canadensis being affected more than A. gerardii, indicated by negative heat stress effect on both physiological and growth responses. There were significant timing effect of heat stress on the two species, with greater reductions in the photosynthesis and productivity occurred when heat stress was applied at later-growing season. The reduction in aboveground productivity in S. canadensis but not A. gerardii could have important implications for plant community structure by increasing the competitive advantage of A. gerardii in this grassland. The present experiment showed that heat stress, though ephemeral, may promote long-term effects on plant community structure, vegetation dynamics, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning of terrestrial biomes when more frequent and severe heat stress occur in the future.

The Interactive Effects of Elevated CO2 and Ammonium Enrichment on the Physiological Performances of Saccharina japonica (Laminariales, Phaeophyta)

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jin Woo; Chung, Ik Kyo

2018-04-01

Environmental challenges such as ocean acidification and eutrophication influence the physiology of kelp species. We investigated their interactive effects on Saccharina japonica (Laminariales, Phaeophyta) under two pH conditions [Low, 7.50; High (control), 8.10] and three NH4 +concentrations (Low, 4; Medium, 60; High, 120 μM). The degree of variation of pH values in the culture medium and inhibition rate of photosynthetic oxygen evolution by acetazolamide were affected by pH treatments. Relative growth rates, carbon, nitrogen, and the C:N ratio in tissue samples were influenced by higher concentrations of NH4 + . Rates of photosynthetic oxygen evolution were enhanced under elevated CO2 or NH4 +conditions, independently, but these two factors did not show an interactive effect. However, rates of NH4 +uptake were influenced by the interactive effect of increased CO2 under elevated NH4 +treatment. Although ocean acidification and eutrophication states had an impact on physiological performance, chlorophyll fluorescence was not affected by those conditions. Our results indicated that the physiological reactions by this alga were influenced to some extent by a rise in the levels of CO2 and NH4 + . Therefore, we expect that the biomass accumulation of S. japonica may well increase under future scenarios of ocean acidification and eutrophication.

Biochar amendment of fluvio-glacial temperate sandy subsoil: Effects on maize water uptake, growth and physiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Fauziatu; Arthur, Emmanuel; Plauborg, Finn

2018-01-01

Coarse sandy soils have poor water retention capacity, which may constrain crop growth during drought. We investigated the effect of biochar amendment to subsoil on crop physiological processes and maize yield, comparing irrigated and drought conditions. A two-year greenhouse experiment was condu......Coarse sandy soils have poor water retention capacity, which may constrain crop growth during drought. We investigated the effect of biochar amendment to subsoil on crop physiological processes and maize yield, comparing irrigated and drought conditions. A two-year greenhouse experiment...... was conducted with one-time application of straw biochar at concentrations of 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% (B0, B1, B2 and B3). Maize was planted twice in the same large pots one week and again 12 months after biochar application. Plants were fully irrigated until flowering; thereafter, half of them were subjected...... to drought. Our results indicate B2 and B3 increased soil water content at field capacity. Leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration were maintained in B2 and B3 during the drying cycle in year one and in all biochar levels in year two. In the first year, B3 induced...

Water stress and recovery in the performance of two Eucalyptus globulus clones: physiological and biochemical profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Correia, Barbara; Pintó-Marijuan, Marta; Neves, Lucinda; Brossa, Ricard; Dias, Maria Celeste; Costa, Armando; Castro, Bruno B; Araújo, Clara; Santos, Conceição; Chaves, Maria Manuela; Pinto, Glória

2014-04-01

Eucalyptus plantations are among the most productive forest stands in Portugal and Spain, being mostly used for pulp production and, more recently, as an energy crop. However, the region's Mediterranean climate, with characteristic severe summer drought, negatively affects eucalypt growth and increases mortality. Although the physiological response to water shortage is well characterized for this species, evidence about the plants' recovery ability remains scarce. In order to assess the physiological and biochemical response of Eucalyptus globulus during the recovery phase, two genotypes (AL-18 and AL-10) were submitted to a 3-week water stress period at two different intensities (18 and 25% of field capacity), followed by 1 week of rewatering. Recovery was assessed 1 day and 1 week after rehydration. Drought reduced height, biomass, water potential, NPQ and gas exchange in both genotypes. Contrarily, the levels of pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (F(v) /F(m) and (φPSII)), MDA and ABA increased. During recovery, the physiological and biochemical profile of stressed plants showed a similar trend: they experienced reversion of altered traits (MDA, ABA, E, g(s), pigments), while other parameters did not recover ((φPSII), NPQ). Furthermore, an overcompensation of CO(2) assimilation was achieved 1 week after rehydration, which was accompanied by greater growth and re-establishment of oxidative balance. Both genotypes were tolerant to the tested conditions, although clonal differences were found. AL-10 was more productive and showed a more rapid and dynamic response to rehydration (namely in carotenoid content, (φPSII) and NPQ) compared to clone AL-18. © 2013 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Do physiological measures predict selected CrossFit(®) benchmark performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Butcher, Scotty J; Neyedly, Tyler J; Horvey, Karla J; Benko, Chad R

2015-01-01

CrossFit(®) is a new but extremely popular method of exercise training and competition that involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. Despite the popularity of this training method, the physiological determinants of CrossFit performance have not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine whether physiological and/or muscle strength measures could predict performance on three common CrossFit "Workouts of the Day" (WODs). Fourteen CrossFit Open or Regional athletes completed, on separate days, the WODs "Grace" (30 clean and jerks for time), "Fran" (three rounds of thrusters and pull-ups for 21, 15, and nine repetitions), and "Cindy" (20 minutes of rounds of five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and 15 bodyweight squats), as well as the "CrossFit Total" (1 repetition max [1RM] back squat, overhead press, and deadlift), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), and Wingate anaerobic power/capacity testing. Performance of Grace and Fran was related to whole-body strength (CrossFit Total) (r=-0.88 and -0.65, respectively) and anaerobic threshold (r=-0.61 and -0.53, respectively); however, whole-body strength was the only variable to survive the prediction regression for both of these WODs (R (2)=0.77 and 0.42, respectively). There were no significant associations or predictors for Cindy. CrossFit benchmark WOD performance cannot be predicted by VO2max, Wingate power/capacity, or either respiratory compensation or anaerobic thresholds. Of the data measured, only whole-body strength can partially explain performance on Grace and Fran, although anaerobic threshold also exhibited association with performance. Along with their typical training, CrossFit athletes should likely ensure an adequate level of strength and aerobic endurance to optimize performance on at least some benchmark WODs.

Do physiological measures predict selected CrossFit® benchmark performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Butcher, Scotty J; Neyedly, Tyler J; Horvey, Karla J; Benko, Chad R

2015-01-01

Purpose CrossFit® is a new but extremely popular method of exercise training and competition that involves constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. Despite the popularity of this training method, the physiological determinants of CrossFit performance have not yet been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine whether physiological and/or muscle strength measures could predict performance on three common CrossFit “Workouts of the Day” (WODs). Materials and methods Fourteen CrossFit Open or Regional athletes completed, on separate days, the WODs “Grace” (30 clean and jerks for time), “Fran” (three rounds of thrusters and pull-ups for 21, 15, and nine repetitions), and “Cindy” (20 minutes of rounds of five pull-ups, ten push-ups, and 15 bodyweight squats), as well as the “CrossFit Total” (1 repetition max [1RM] back squat, overhead press, and deadlift), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), and Wingate anaerobic power/capacity testing. Results Performance of Grace and Fran was related to whole-body strength (CrossFit Total) (r=−0.88 and −0.65, respectively) and anaerobic threshold (r=−0.61 and −0.53, respectively); however, whole-body strength was the only variable to survive the prediction regression for both of these WODs (R2=0.77 and 0.42, respectively). There were no significant associations or predictors for Cindy. Conclusion CrossFit benchmark WOD performance cannot be predicted by VO2max, Wingate power/capacity, or either respiratory compensation or anaerobic thresholds. Of the data measured, only whole-body strength can partially explain performance on Grace and Fran, although anaerobic threshold also exhibited association with performance. Along with their typical training, CrossFit athletes should likely ensure an adequate level of strength and aerobic endurance to optimize performance on at least some benchmark WODs. PMID:26261428

Effect of altitude on physiological performance: a statistical analysis using results of international football games.

Science.gov (United States)

McSharry, Patrick E

2007-12-22

To assess the effect of altitude on match results and physiological performance of a large and diverse population of professional athletes. Statistical analysis of international football (soccer) scores and results. FIFA extensive database of 1460 football matches in 10 countries spanning over 100 years. Altitude had a significant (Pnegative impact on physiological performance as revealed through the overall underperformance of low altitude teams when playing against high altitude teams in South America. High altitude teams score more and concede fewer goals with increasing altitude difference. Each additional 1000 m of altitude difference increases the goal difference by about half of a goal. The probability of the home team winning for two teams from the same altitude is 0.537, whereas this rises to 0.825 for a home team with an altitude difference of 3695 m (such as Bolivia v Brazil) and falls to 0.213 when the altitude difference is -3695 m (such as Brazil v Bolivia). Altitude provides a significant advantage for high altitude teams when playing international football games at both low and high altitudes. Lowland teams are unable to acclimatise to high altitude, reducing physiological performance. As physiological performance does not protect against the effect of altitude, better predictors of individual susceptibility to altitude illness would facilitate team selection.

Effects of Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) on growth and physiological characteristics of green algae, Cladophora.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, De-ju; Xie, Pan-pan; Deng, Juan-wei; Zhang, Hui-min; Ma, Ru-xiao; Liu, Cheng; Liu, Ren-jing; Liang, Yue-gan; Li, Hao; Shi, Xiao-dong

2015-11-01

Effects of various concentrations of Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) (0.0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/L) on the growth, malondialdehyde (MDA), the intracellular calcium, and physiological characteristics of green algae, Cladophora, were investigated. Low Zn(2+) concentrations accelerated the growth of Cladophora, whereas Zn(2+) concentration increases to 0.25 mg/L inhibited its growth. Cu(2+) greatly influences Cladophora growth. The photosynthesis of Cladophora decreased under Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) stress. Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) treatment affected the content of total soluble sugar in Cladophora and has small increases in its protein content. Zn(2+) induced the intracellular calcium release, and copper induced the intracellular calcium increases in Cladophora. Exposure to Cu(2+) and Zn(2+) induces MDA in Cladophora. The stress concent of Cu(2+) was strictly correlated with the total soluble sugar content, Chla+Chlb, and MDA in Cladophora, and the stress concent of Zn(2+) was strictly correlated with the relative growth rate (RGR) and MDA of Cladophora.

PHYSIOLOGICAL, BIOMECHANICAL AND ANTHROPOMETRICAL PREDICTORS OF SPRINT SWIMMING PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENT SWIMMERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelin Lätt

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between 100-m front crawl swimming performance and relevant biomechanical, anthropometrical and physiological parameters in male adolescent swimmers. Twenty five male swimmers (mean ± SD: age 15. 2 ± 1.9 years; height 1.76 ± 0.09 m; body mass 63.3 ± 10.9 kg performed an all-out 100-m front crawl swimming test in a 25-m pool. A respiratory snorkel and valve system with low hydrodynamic resistance was used to collect expired air. Oxygen uptake was measured breath-by-breath by a portable metabolic cart. Swimming velocity, stroke rate (SR, stroke length and stroke index (SI were assessed during the test by time video analysis. Blood samples for lactate measurement were taken from the fingertip pre exercise and at the third and fifth minute of recovery to estimate net blood lactate accumulation (?La. The energy cost of swimming was estimated from oxygen uptake and blood lactate energy equivalent values. Basic anthropometry included body height, body mass and arm span. Body composition parameters were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA. Results indicate that biomechanical factors (90.3% explained most of 100-m front crawl swimming performance variability in these adolescent male swimmers, followed by anthropometrical (45.8% and physiological (45.2% parameters. SI was the best single predictor of performance, while arm span and ∆La were the best anthropometrical and physiological indicators, respectively. SI and SR alone explained 92.6% of the variance in competitive performance. These results confirm the importance of considering specific stroke technical parameters when predicting success in young swimmers.

Growth, physiological response and phytoremoval capability of two willow clones exposed to ibuprofen under hydroponic culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Iori, Valentina; Zacchini, Massimo; Pietrini, Fabrizio

2013-11-15

Ibuprofen (IBU) is one of the most widespread pharmaceuticals in the aquatic ecosystem, despite the high removal rate that occurs in wastewater treatment plants. Phytoremediation represents a technology to improve the performance of existing wastewater treatment. This study was conducted under hydroponics to evaluate the ability of Salicaceae plants to tolerate and reduce IBU concentration in contaminated water. To this end, we combined growth, physiological and biochemical data to study the effects of different IBU concentrations on two clones of Salix alba L. Data demonstrated that clone SS5 was more tolerant and showed a higher ability to reduce IBU concentration in the solution than clone SP3. The high tolerance to IBU shown by SS5 was likely due to several mechanisms including the capacity to maintain an elevated photosynthetic activity and an efficient antioxidative defence. These results illustrate the remarkable potential of willow to phytoremediate IBU-contaminated waters in natural and constructed wetlands. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of the squid viscera hydrolysate on growth performance and digestion in the red sea bream Pagrus major.

Science.gov (United States)

Kondo, Fumitaka; Ohta, Takashi; Iwai, Toshiharu; Ido, Atsushi; Miura, Chiemi; Miura, Takeshi

2017-12-01

The improvement in feed efficiency is one of the most important subjects in fish culture. The development of feed, in terms of good intake, high growth performance, and high feed efficiency is needed. Squid viscera are one of the candidates for alternative material in improving feed efficiency in fish culture. In the present study, we described the dietary effect of the squid viscera hydrolysate (SVH) on the growth performance of the red sea bream. The addition of SVH to feed caused significant increases in feed intake, fork length, and body weight and produced a marked improvement in feed conversion after 4 weeks of feeding. Furthermore, the results of this feeding revealed that low dietary levels of SVH promote growth performance in the red sea bream. We physiologically analyzed digestion and appetite in fish fed diet containing SVH. SVH promoted the activity of hepatic trypsin and lipase, gene expression of stomach pepsin, hepatic lipase, and pyloric caeca trypsin, thereby improving the nutrient availability in red sea bream. Moreover, the mRNA expression of appetite regulating factor, such as brain NPY and stomach ghrelin was significantly improved by dietary SVH. Our current results indicate that dietary SVH as alternative material produced excellent effects on growth performance, which is dependent on the promoting effect on digestion and appetite in red sea bream.

Prebiotic effect of fructo–oligosaccharides on growth and physiological state of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiří Řehulka

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Rainbow trout at an average weight of 240 g were examined for the effect of dietary fructo–oligosaccharides in the diet on their growth and physiological state through selected biochemical parameters of the blood plasma. The prebiotic product Profeed® (experimental group, EG was administered on a continuous basis at a rate of g kg−1 of pellets for 105 days. The best growth performance for the EG was found in 42 days (363 ± 34.7 g vs. 340 ± 36.7 g, P = 0.003 and in 63 days (387 ± 35.6 g vs. 364 ± 42.3 g, P = 0.011. SGR of the fish from the EG was 0.69% and from the control group (CG was 0.70%. The feed conversion level was 0.82 in the EG and 0.86 in the CG. Survival rate was 99% (EG and 98% (CG. The results of the biochemical examination indicate significant differences in the creatinine (28 ± 5.5 vs. 22 ± 3.05 µmol L−1 and the sodium cation (157.9 1.66 vs. 155.7 ± 1.49 mmol L−1 level and in the catalytic concentration of alkaline phosphatase (5.18 ± 1.57 vs. 3.43 ± 0.78 µkat L−1. The positive results of the growth and biochemical tests as well as the favourable feed conversion suggest that it would be worthwhile to test higher concentrations of the Profeed® prebiotic product.

Multiple Days of Heat Exposure on Firefighters' Work Performance and Physiology.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brianna Larsen

Full Text Available This study assessed the accumulated effect of ambient heat on the performance of, and physiological and perceptual responses to, intermittent, simulated wildfire fighting tasks over three consecutive days. Firefighters (n = 36 were matched and allocated to either the CON (19°C or HOT (33°C condition. They performed three days of intermittent, self-paced simulated firefighting work, interspersed with physiological testing. Task repetitions were counted (and converted to distance or area to determine work performance. Participants were asked to rate their perceived exertion and thermal sensation after each task. Heart rate, core temperature (Tc, and skin temperature (Tsk were recorded continuously throughout the simulation. Fluids were consumed ad libitum. Urine volume was measured throughout, and urine specific gravity (USG analysed, to estimate hydration. All food and fluid consumption was recorded. There was no difference in work output between experimental conditions. However, significant variation in performance responses between individuals was observed. All measures of thermal stress were elevated in the HOT, with core and skin temperature reaching, on average, 0.24 ± 0.08°C and 2.81 ± 0.20°C higher than the CON group. Participants' doubled their fluid intake in the HOT condition, and this was reflected in the USG scores, where the HOT participants reported significantly lower values. Heart rate was comparable between conditions at nearly all time points, however the peak heart rate reached each circuit was 7 ± 3% higher in the CON trial. Likewise, RPE was slightly elevated in the CON trial for the majority of tasks. Participants' work output was comparable between the CON and HOT conditions, however the performance change over time varied significantly between individuals. It is likely that the increased fluid replacement in the heat, in concert with frequent rest breaks and task rotation, assisted with the regulation of

Multiple Days of Heat Exposure on Firefighters’ Work Performance and Physiology

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Brianna; Snow, Rod; Vincent, Grace; Tran, Jacqueline; Wolkow, Alexander; Aisbett, Brad

2015-01-01

This study assessed the accumulated effect of ambient heat on the performance of, and physiological and perceptual responses to, intermittent, simulated wildfire fighting tasks over three consecutive days. Firefighters (n = 36) were matched and allocated to either the CON (19°C) or HOT (33°C) condition. They performed three days of intermittent, self-paced simulated firefighting work, interspersed with physiological testing. Task repetitions were counted (and converted to distance or area) to determine work performance. Participants were asked to rate their perceived exertion and thermal sensation after each task. Heart rate, core temperature (Tc), and skin temperature (Tsk) were recorded continuously throughout the simulation. Fluids were consumed ad libitum. Urine volume was measured throughout, and urine specific gravity (USG) analysed, to estimate hydration. All food and fluid consumption was recorded. There was no difference in work output between experimental conditions. However, significant variation in performance responses between individuals was observed. All measures of thermal stress were elevated in the HOT, with core and skin temperature reaching, on average, 0.24 ± 0.08°C and 2.81 ± 0.20°C higher than the CON group. Participants’ doubled their fluid intake in the HOT condition, and this was reflected in the USG scores, where the HOT participants reported significantly lower values. Heart rate was comparable between conditions at nearly all time points, however the peak heart rate reached each circuit was 7 ± 3% higher in the CON trial. Likewise, RPE was slightly elevated in the CON trial for the majority of tasks. Participants’ work output was comparable between the CON and HOT conditions, however the performance change over time varied significantly between individuals. It is likely that the increased fluid replacement in the heat, in concert with frequent rest breaks and task rotation, assisted with the regulation of physiological

The impact of pH inhomogeneities on CHO cell physiology and fed-batch process performance - two-compartment scale-down modelling and intracellular pH excursion.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunner, Matthias; Braun, Philipp; Doppler, Philipp; Posch, Christoph; Behrens, Dirk; Herwig, Christoph; Fricke, Jens

2017-07-01

Due to high mixing times and base addition from top of the vessel, pH inhomogeneities are most likely to occur during large-scale mammalian processes. The goal of this study was to set-up a scale-down model of a 10-12 m 3 stirred tank bioreactor and to investigate the effect of pH perturbations on CHO cell physiology and process performance. Short-term changes in extracellular pH are hypothesized to affect intracellular pH and thus cell physiology. Therefore, batch fermentations, including pH shifts to 9.0 and 7.8, in regular one-compartment systems are conducted. The short-term adaption of the cells intracellular pH are showed an immediate increase due to elevated extracellular pH. With this basis of fundamental knowledge, a two-compartment system is established which is capable of simulating defined pH inhomogeneities. In contrast to state-of-the-art literature, the scale-down model is included parameters (e.g. volume of the inhomogeneous zone) as they might occur during large-scale processes. pH inhomogeneity studies in the two-compartment system are performed with simulation of temporary pH zones of pH 9.0. The specific growth rate especially during the exponential growth phase is strongly affected resulting in a decreased maximum viable cell density and final product titer. The gathered results indicate that even short-term exposure of cells to elevated pH values during large-scale processes can affect cell physiology and overall process performance. In particular, it could be shown for the first time that pH perturbations, which might occur during the early process phase, have to be considered in scale-down models of mammalian processes. Copyright © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Salt tolerance of precocious-dwarf cashew rootstocks: physiological and growth indexes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carneiro Paulo Torres

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The cashew crop (Anacardium occiedentale L. is of great economic and social importance for Northeast Brazil, a region usually affected by water and soil salinity. The present study was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the effects of four salinity levels established through electrical conductivity of irrigation water (ECw: 0.7, 1.4, 2.1 and 2.8 dS m-1, at 25ºC, on growth and physiological indexes of five rootstocks of dwarf-precocious cashew varieties CCP06, CCP09, CCP1001, EMBRAPA50, and EMBRAPA51. Plant height, leaf area, dry weight of root, shoot and total; water content of leaves, root/shoot ratio, leaf area ratio, absolute and relative growth rates and rate of net assimilation were evaluated. The majority of the evaluated variables were found to be affected by ECw and the effects varied among clones; however, no significant interactive effects were observed for factors. The value of ECw = 1.39 dS m-1 was considered as a threshold tolerance for the precocious cashew rootstocks used in this study. The dwarf-precocious cashew is moderately sensible to soil salinity during the formation phase of rootstock. Clones EMBRAPA51 and EMBRAPA50 presented, respectively, the least and the best development indexes.

Comparative study on agro-physiology of sugarcane (saccharum officinarum l.) genotypes at different irrigation co-efficient values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farooq, Z.; Mehmood, S.

2015-01-01

Drought is the primary factor limiting sugarcane growth and physiological development under the climatic conditions of Pakistan; especially in those areas where without supplemental irrigation, productivity is not possible. Lack of detailed information regarding the performance of cane varieties under drought during formative stage and poor selection breeding program played key role in limiting cane productivity. The proposed study was conducted to investigate the genetic response of different cultivars viz., CSSG-676, CSSG-668, HoSG-795, HoSG-529, NSG-59 and HSF- 240 (standard) regarding the physiological development of sugarcane and its productivity at different irrigation co-efficient levels (100%, 80% and 60%). This study elucidates that moisture has a pronounced impact on the physiological attributes of sugarcane and proper irrigation scheduling with 20 no. of irrigations were reported best in-term of better germination (69.65%), leaf area index (7.13), crop growth rate (8.44), net assimilation rate (1.06) and chlorophyll contents (5.98). Similarly in case of genomic response, NSG-59 was reported significant best as compared to all other test cultivars in term of better physiological performance, showing significant higher leaf area index, crop growth rate, chlorophyll contents and water use efficiency that maximized the crop growth and resulted in higher net assimilation rate. Higher proline contents (1.59) produced in NSG-59 also made it best under drought conditions. (author)

The influence of climatic and physiological performance on population dynamics of Mytilus edulis in West Greenland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyrring, Jakob; Blicher, Martin; Sejr, Mikael Kristian

2014-01-01

data on current distribution and physiological performance of blue mussels in the Arctic is lacking, and knowledge of how “climate” in a broad sense specifically influence population dynamics of this species is unknown. Here, we present data on abundance, age and mortality of blue mussels in West...... Greenland. We supplement our data with physiological measurements on freezing tolerance and aerobic metabolic performance of intertidal specimens. We hereby attempt to identify links between temperature and physiology and how this might translate into population dynamics in this region of the Arctic....... Results show an overall decline in blue mussel abundance along the coast from south to north Greenland. Physiological adaptation and plasticity of blue mussels was found across latitudes spanning from the temperate to the High Arctic region. Combined our results indicate that low ocean temperature per se...

Effects of musical tempo on physiological, affective, and perceptual variables and performance of self-selected walking pace.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, Flávia Angélica Martins; Nunes, Renan Felipe Hartmann; Ferreira, Sandro Dos Santos; Krinski, Kleverton; Elsangedy, Hassan Mohamed; Buzzachera, Cosme Franklin; Alves, Ragami Chaves; Gregorio da Silva, Sergio

2015-06-01

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of musical tempo on physiological, affective, and perceptual responses as well as the performance of self-selected walking pace. [Subjects] The study included 28 adult women between 29 and 51 years old. [Methods] The subjects were divided into three groups: no musical stimulation group (control), and 90 and 140 beats per minute musical tempo groups. Each subject underwent three experimental sessions: involved familiarization with the equipment, an incremental test to exhaustion, and a 30-min walk on a treadmill at a self-selected pace, respectively. During the self-selected walking session, physiological, perceptual, and affective variables were evaluated, and walking performance was evaluated at the end. [Results] There were no significant differences in physiological variables or affective response among groups. However, there were significant differences in perceptual response and walking performance among groups. [Conclusion] Fast music (140 beats per minute) promotes a higher rating of perceived exertion and greater performance in self-selected walking pace without significantly altering physiological variables or affective response.

Physiological performance and thermal tolerance of major Red Sea macrophytes

KAUST Repository

Weinzierl, Michael S.

2017-12-01

As anthropogenically-forced ocean temperatures continue to rise, the physiological response of marine macrophytes becomes exceedingly relevant. The Red Sea is a semi-isolated sea- the warmest in the world (SST up to 34°C) - already exhibiting signs of rapid warming rates exceeding those of other tropical oceans. This will have profound effects on the physiology of marine organisms, specifically marine macrophytes, which have direct influence on the dynamic carbonate system of the Red Sea. The aim of this paper is to define the physiological capability and thermal optima and limits of six ecologically important Red Sea macrophytes- ranging from seagrasses to calcifying and non-calcifying algae- and to describe the effects of increasing thermal stress on the performance and limits of each macrophyte in terms of activation energy. Of the species considered, Halophila stipulacae, Halimeda optunia, Halimeda monile and Padina pavonica thrive in thermal extremes and may be more successful in future Red Sea warming scenarios. Specifically, Halimeda opuntia increased productivity and calcification rates up to 38°C, making it the most thermally resilient macrophyte. Halophila stipulacae is the most productive seagrass, and hence has the greatest positive effect on Omega saturation state and offers chemical buffer capacity to future ocean acidification.

Physiological, Nutritional and Performance Profiles of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes

OpenAIRE

Andreato, Leonardo V; Santos, Jonatas FS; Esteves, Jo?o VDC; Panissa, Valeria LG; Julio, Ursula F; Franchini, Emerson

2016-01-01

Abstract This study analysed the physiological, nutritional and performance profiles of athletes practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu. To this end, 15 athletes that practiced Brazilian jiu-jitsu (aged: 28 ? 5 years; 8 brown belts and 7 black belts; training experience: 11 ? 4 years) underwent anthropometric measurements (body composition and somatotype), dietary evaluation (24 h recall) and physical fitness tests (movement time, dynamometer handgrip, kimono grip strength, vertical jump and sit-and-...

Methods of estimating the effect of integral motorcycle helmets on physiological and psychological performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdan, Anna; Sudoł-Szopińska, Iwona; Luczak, Anna; Konarska, Maria; Pietrowski, Piotr

2012-01-01

This article proposes a method for a comprehensive assessment of the effect of integral motorcycle helmets on physiological and cognitive responses of motorcyclists. To verify the reliability of commonly used tests, we conducted experiments with 5 motorcyclists. We recorded changes in physiological parameters (heart rate, local skin temperature, core temperature, air temperature, relative humidity in the space between the helmet and the surface of the head, and the concentration of O(2) and CO(2) under the helmet) and in psychological parameters (motorcyclists' reflexes, fatigue, perceptiveness and mood). We also studied changes in the motorcyclists' subjective sensation of thermal comfort. The results made it possible to identify reliable parameters for assessing the effect of integral helmets on performance, i.e., physiological factors (head skin temperature, internal temperature and concentration of O(2) and CO(2) under the helmet) and on psychomotor factors (reaction time, attention and vigilance, work performance, concentration and a subjective feeling of mood and fatigue).

Marked stimulation of growth and motility of human keratinocytes by hepatocyte growth factor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, K.; Hashimoto, K.; Yoshikawa, K.; Nakamura, T.

1991-01-01

Effect of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on normal human epidermal keratinocytes cultured under conditions of low Ca2+ (0.1 mM, growth-promoting condition) and physiological Ca2+ (1.8 mM, differentiation-promoting condition) was investigated. In low Ca2+, HGF markedly enhanced the migration of keratinocytes while it suppressed cell growth and DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, HGF enhanced the migration, cell growth, and DNA synthesis of keratinocytes cultured under conditions of physiological Ca2+. The maximal stimulation of DNA synthesis (2.4-fold stimulation) in physiological Ca2+ was seen at 2.5-5 ng/ml HGF and the stimulatory effect of HGF was suppressed by transforming growth factor-beta 1. Analysis of the HGF receptor using 125I-HGF as a ligand showed that human keratinocytes expressed a single class of specific, saturable receptor for HGF in both low and physiological Ca2+ conditions, exhibiting a Kd = 17.3 pM and approximately 690 binding sites/cell under physiological Ca2+. Thus, HGF is a potent factor which enhances growth and migration of normal human keratinocytes under conditions of physiological Ca2+. HGF may play an important role in epidermal tissue repair as it enhances both the migration and growth of keratinocytes

Effect of dietary cottonseed meal on growth performance, physiological response, and gossypol accumulation in pre-adult grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idellus

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Haokun; Yan, Quangen; Han, Dong; Jin, Junyan; Zhu, Xiaoming; Yang, Yunxia; Xie, Shouqi

2016-09-01

Cottonseed meal (CM) was used at up to 36.95% content in the diet (replacing 60% of dietary fish meal protein) without any negative eff ects on growth performance of pre-adult grass carp (initial body weight, 761 g) under outdoor conditions. A culture trial was conducted in net cages installed in a large concrete pond. Seven isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets containing a gradient of CM concentrations (0, 12.2%, 24.4%, 36.6%, 48.8%, 54.8%, and 61.0%) as replacement for dietary fish meal protein (0, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 90%, and 100%) were formulated. Dietary non-resistant starch (from maize) was inverse to dietary CM. Growth performance and feed utilization of fish fed the diets containing CM replacing 0-40% fishmeal protein were not aff ected after the 6-week feeding trial. Accumulation of hepatopancreatic total gossypol in the hepatopancreas was significantly correlated with free gossypol content in the diets (HTG=88.6+1.5×DFG, R 2=0.89, Preplacement). Increasing dietary CM content increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels but decreased serum alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin ( P<0.05).

Effects of Salicylic Acid on the Growth and Physiological Characteristics in Cyclocarya Paliurus Seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Y.; Guo, N.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, N.; Wang, T.; Yang, W.; Fang, S.

2016-01-01

Field studies were conducted to examine the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on the growth and physiological characteristics of Cyclocarya paliurus seedlings by spraying the foliage with 0.0 (control), 0.2, 1.0, and 2.0 mM salicylic acid (SA). Proper concentrations of SA improved the relative growth yield of seedling stems and the soluble protein and sugar content of the leaves. It also increased the content of secondary metabolites including triterpenoids, flavonoids, quercetin and kaempferol, mineral elements K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu. Moreover, it stimulated the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) in the leaves. The effects of SA on these indices were dose dependent. The relative growth of seedling stem diameter and quercetin content increased gradually with an increase in concentration of SA from 0.0-2.0 mM. A concentration of 0.2 mM was optimal to promote content of soluble protein, sugars, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, and Cu, and SOD activity and significantly increased by 38.6 percentage, 22.1 percentage, 17.7 percentage, 8.2 percentage, 20.3 percentage, 23.2 percentage, 15.6 percentage, and 52.4 percentage, respectively, as compared with the control (CK). However, the maximal increase in activities of PAL, POX, and content of triterpenoids, kaempferol, and flavonoids was attained at 1.0 mM treatment, which significantly increased by 76.5 percentage, 78.4 percentage, 76.4 percentage, 96.3 percentage, and 107.4 percentage, respectively, compared with CK. Correlation analysis revealed positive relationships between activities of PAL, POX and content of triterpenoids, quercetin, kaempferol, and flavonoids within a certain concentration range of SA. These results suggested that an appropriate concentration (0.2-1.0 mM) of SA was not only effective in the improvement of physiological function of C. paliurus, but also increased seedling resistance; additionally, it helped to stimulate the synthesis of medicinal

Growth performance, immune status and organ morphometry in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth performance, immune status and organ morphometry in broilers fed Bacillus subtilis -supplemented diet. ... In conclusion, B. subtilis-type probiotics contributed positively to better growth performance, improved immune system and modulated morphology of lymphoid organs and gut mucosa in broilers. Keywords: ...

Bone morphogenetic protein-4 and transforming growth factor-beta1 mechanisms in acute valvular response to supra-physiologic hemodynamic stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Ling; Sucosky, Philippe

2015-06-26

To explore ex vivo the role of bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1) in acute valvular response to fluid shear stress (FSS) abnormalities. Porcine valve leaflets were subjected ex vivo to physiologic FSS, supra-physiologic FSS magnitude at normal frequency and supra-physiologic FSS frequency at normal magnitude for 48 h in a double-sided cone-and-plate bioreactor filled with standard culture medium. The role of BMP-4 and TGF-β1 in the valvular response was investigated by promoting or inhibiting the downstream action of those cytokines via culture medium supplementation with BMP-4 or the BMP antagonist noggin, and TGF-β1 or the TGF-β1 inhibitor SB-431542, respectively. Fresh porcine leaflets were used as controls. Each experimental group consisted of six leaflet samples. Immunostaining and immunoblotting were performed to assess endothelial activation in terms of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expressions, paracrine signaling in terms of BMP-4 and TGF-β1 expressions and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in terms of cathepsin L, cathepsin S, metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 expressions. Immunostained images were quantified by normalizing the intensities of positively stained regions by the number of cells in each image while immunoblots were quantified by densitometry. Regardless of the culture medium, physiologic FSS maintained valvular homeostasis. Tissue exposure to supra-physiologic FSS magnitude in standard medium stimulated paracrine signaling (TGF-β1: 467% ± 22% vs 100% ± 6% in fresh controls, BMP-4: 258% ± 22% vs 100% ± 4% in fresh controls; P 0.05). Supra-physiologic FSS frequency had no effect on endothelial activation and paracrine signaling regardless of the culture medium but TGF-β1 silencing attenuated FSS-induced ECM degradation via MMP-9 downregulation (MMP-9: 302% ± 182% vs 100% ± 42% in fresh controls; P > 0.05). Valvular tissue is sensitive

Physiological, structural and molecular traits activated in strawberry plants after inoculation with the plant growth-promoting bacterium Azospirillum brasilense REC3.

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Guerrero-Molina, M F; Lovaisa, N C; Salazar, S M; Martínez-Zamora, M G; Díaz-Ricci, J C; Pedraza, R O

2015-05-01

The plant growth-promoting strain REC3 of Azospirillum brasilense, isolated from strawberry roots, prompts growth promotion and systemic protection against anthracnose disease in this crop. Hence, we hypothesised that A. brasilense REC3 can induce different physiological, structural and molecular responses in strawberry plants. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study these traits activated in Azospirillum-colonised strawberry plants, which have not been assessed until now. Healthy, in vitro micropropagated plants were root-inoculated with REC3 under hydroponic conditions; root and leaf tissues were sampled at different times, and oxidative burst, phenolic compound content, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, callose deposition, cell wall fortification and gene expression were evaluated. Azospirillum inoculation enhanced levels of soluble phenolic compounds after 12 h post-inoculation (hpi), while amounts of cell wall bound phenolics were similar in inoculated and control plants. Other early responses activated by REC3 (at 24 hpi) were a decline of lipid peroxidation and up-regulation of strawberry genes involved in defence (FaPR1), bacterial recognition (FaFLS2) and H₂O₂ depuration (FaCAT and FaAPXc). The last may explain the apparent absence of oxidative burst in leaves after bacterial inoculation. Also, REC3 inoculation induced delayed structural responses such as callose deposition and cell wall fortification (at 72 hpi). Results showed that A. brasilense REC3 is capable of exerting beneficial effects on strawberry plants, reinforcing their physiological and cellular characteristics, which in turns contribute to improve plant performance. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Relationship between physiological indices and aerobic performance tests in short and medium term of elite cyclists

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Eduardo Bernardo Sangali

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Few studies allow usto verify which physiological responses are associated with performance in anational elite cycling group. Therefore, this study aimed to determine and correlate various physiological and aerobic indices with performance in 4 and 20 km time trials in high-level cyclists. The sample consisted of 14 male professional cyclists of the national elite group (28.5 ± 4.7 years old, 73.47 ± 8.29 kg, 176 ± 6.76cm, who performed a progressive test in laboratory to determine maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max: 62.23 ± 8.28 ml•kg-1•min-1, intensity relative to VO2max(iVO2max: 500.83 ± 58.65w, movement economy (EM: 0.1166 ± 0.0362 ml•kg•min•w-1, and the first and second ventilatory threshold (LV1: 348.21 ±43.26 w; LV2: 417.86 ± 60.79 w, respectively. They also performed two time trial performance tests of 4 and 20km. For the correlation between physiological indices and trial performance, Pearson correlation coefficient(p< 0.05 was used. No correlation was found between the physiological indices (VO2max absolute and relative, iVO2max, EM, LV1 and LV2 andperformance in 4 km (r= 0.38; 0.16; -0.33; 0.20; -0.50; -0.20, respectivelyand 20 km (r= 0.24; 0.01; -0.13; -0.12; -0.48; -0.19, respectively time trialin high level athletes. These results suggest that these variables are not able to explain the performance in time trials in the respective lengths, probably due to the subjects’ homogeneity.

Prognosis of physiological disorders in physic nut to N, P, and K deficiency during initial growth.

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Santos, Elcio Ferreira; Macedo, Fernando Giovannetti; Zanchim, Bruno José; Lima, Giuseppina Pace Pereira; Lavres, José

2017-06-01

The description of physiological disorders in physic nut plants deficient in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) may help to predict nutritional imbalances before the appearance of visual symptoms and to guide strategies for early nutrient supply. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth of physic nuts (Jatropha curcas L.) during initial development by analyzing the gas exchange parameters, nutrient uptake and use efficiency, as well as the nitrate reductase and acid phosphatase activities and polyamine content. Plants were grown in a complete nutrient solution and solutions from which N, P or K was omitted. The nitrate reductase activity, phosphatase acid activity, polyamine content and gas exchange parameters from leaves of N, P and K-deficient plants indicates earlier imbalances before the appearance of visual symptoms. Nutrient deficiencies resulted in reduced plant growth, although P- and K-deficient plants retained normal net photosynthesis (A), stomatal conductance (g s ) and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (k) during the first evaluation periods, as modulated by the P and K use efficiencies. Increased phosphatase acid activity in P-deficient plants may also contribute to the P use efficiency and to A and gs during the first evaluations. Early physiological and biochemical evaluations of N-, P- and K-starved plants may rely on reliable, useful methods to predict early nutritional imbalances. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Physiological Assessment and Behavioral Interaction of Wild and Hatchery Juvenile Salmonids : The Relationship of Fish Size and Growth to Smoltification in Spring Chinook Salmon.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beckman, Brian R.; Larsen, Donald A.; Lee-Pawlak, Beeda; Dickhoff, Walton W.

1996-10-01

Experiments were performed to determine the relative influence of size and growth rate on downstream migratory disposition and physiology in yearling spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawtscha) smolts. A group of juvenile chinook salmon was size graded into small and large categories with half the fish in each group reared at an elevated temperature, resulting in four distinct treatment groups: Large Warm (LW), Large Cool (LC), Small Warm (SW), and Small Cool (SC). Fish from warm-water treatment groups displayed significantly higher growth rates than cool-water groups. Fish were tagged and released into a natural creek where downstream movement was monitored. For each of the two releases, fish that migrated past a weir within the first 5 days postrelease had significantly higher spring growth rates than fish that did not migrate within that period. Significant differences in length for the same fish were only found in the second release. Also for the second release, fish from the warm water treatment groups were recovered in higher proportions than fish from cool water groups. The results indicate that increased growth rate in the spring has a positive relation to downstream migratory disposition. Furthermore, there is a relation between smolt size and migration; however, this relation is weaker than that found between growth rate and migration.

Physiological role of growth factors and bone morphogenetic proteins in osteogenesis and bone fracture healing: а review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Sagalovsky

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The repair of large bone defects remains a major clinical orthopedic challenge. Bone regeneration and fracture healing is a complex physiological mechanisms regulated by a large number of biologically active molecules. Multiple factors regulate this cascade of molecular events, which affects different stages in the osteoblast and chondroblast lineage during such processes as migration, proliferation, chemotaxis, differentiation, inhibition, and extracellular protein synthesis. A recent review has focused on the mechanisms by which growth and differentiation factors regulate the fracture healing process. Rapid progress in skeletal cellular and molecular biology has led to identification of many signaling molecules associated with formation of skeletal tissues, including a large family of growth factors (transforming growth factor-β and bone morphogenetic proteins, fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, cytokines and interleukins. There is increasing evidence indicating that they are critical regulators of cellular proliferation, differentiation, extracellular matrix biosynthesis and bone mineralization. A clear understanding of cellular and molecular pathways involved in fracture healing is not only critical for improvement of fracture treatments, but it may also enhance further our knowledge of mechanisms involved in skeletal growth and repair, as well as mechanisms of aging. This suggests that, in the future, they may play a major role in the treatment of bone disease and fracture repair.

ANXIETY, PHYSIOLOGICALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY MEASURED, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES ON MENTAL TEST PERFORMANCE.

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CHAMBERS, ALMA C.; HOPKINS, KENNETH D.

EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH (1) EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED ANXIETY INFLUENCES ABILITY TEST PERFORMANCE AND (2) THE VARIOUS PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL MEASURES OF ANXIETY ARE RELATED. HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS WERE ADMINISTERED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES OF ANXIETY--(1) S-R INVENTORY OF ANXIOUSNESS, (2) AFFECT ADJECTIVE…

Effects of egg incubation condition on the post-hatching growth and performance of the snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, Kathleen M. [State Univ. of New York (SUNY),Buffalo, NY (United States)

1990-12-01

The effect of incubation temperature on the post-hatching growth and performance capacities of the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina was investigated in the laboratory. Turtle eggs were collected from four sites in New York State and randomly assigned to four incubation temperature treatments to produce males (constant 26°C and downshifted 30-26-30°C) and females (constant 30°C and upshifted 26-30-26°C) under constant and altered temperature regimes. The incubation conditions resulted in 92% males from the constant 26°C group and 93% males from the downshifted group. 100% females resulted from both the constant 30°C group and the upshifted group. Turtles hatching from eggs incubated constantly at 26°C were significantly larger than hatchlings from eggs incubated at a constant 30°C or downshifted. Hatchlings were raised in individual aquaria at 25°C and fed earthworms and fish. After a 9-month growth period, turtles which had been incubated at a constant 30°C gained significantly more mass than did turtles from eggs which had been downshifted or upshifted. There was no extended effect of incubation condition on Post-hatching performance and learning ability as measured by righting and feeding responses. Thus, the mass gain differences seen in this study suggest that physiological differences do result as the consequence of incubation condition. However, these physiological differences are not reflected in normal locomotive or feeding behavior.

Effects of egg incubation condition on the post-hatching growth and performance of the snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ryan, K.M.

1990-12-01

The effect of incubation temperature on the post-hatching growth and performance capacities of the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina was investigated in the laboratory. Turtle eggs were collected from four sites in New York State and randomly assigned to four incubation temperature treatments to produce males (constant 26[degree]C and downshifted 30-26-30[degree]C) and females (constant 30[degree]C and upshifted 26-30-26[degree]C) under constant and altered temperature regimes. The incubation conditions resulted in 92% males from the constant 26[degree]C group and 93% males from the downshifted group. 100% females resulted from both the constant 30[degree]C group and the upshifted group. Turtles hatching from eggs incubated constantly at 26[degree]C were significantly larger than hatchlings from eggs incubated at a constant 30[degree]C or downshifted. Hatchlings were raised in individual aquaria at 25[degree]C and fed earthworms and fish. After a 9-month growth period, turtles which had been incubated at a constant 30[degree]C gained significantly more mass than did turtles from eggs which had been downshifted or upshifted. There was no extended effect of incubation condition on Post-hatching performance and learning ability as measured by righting and feeding responses. Thus, the mass gain differences seen in this study suggest that physiological differences do result as the consequence of incubation condition. However, these physiological differences are not reflected in normal locomotive or feeding behavior.

Physiological adaptation of maternal plasma volume during pregnancy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haas, S.; Ghossein-Doha, C.; Kuijk, S.M. van; Drongelen, J. van; Spaanderman, M.E.A.

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To describe the physiological pattern of gestational plasma volume adjustments in normal singleton pregnancy and compare this with the pattern in pregnancies complicated by pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia or fetal growth restriction. METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of

The role of anthropometric, growth and maturity index (AGaMI) influencing youth soccer relative performance

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Bisyri Husin Musawi Maliki, Ahmad; Razali Abdullah, Mohamad; Juahir, Hafizan; Muhamad, Wan Siti Amalina Wan; Afiqah Mohamad Nasir, Nur; Muazu Musa, Rabiu; Musliha Mat-Rasid, Siti; Adnan, Aleesha; Azura Kosni, Norlaila; Abdullah, Farhana; Ain Shahirah Abdullah, Nurul

2018-04-01

The main purpose of this study was to develop Anthropometric, Growth and Maturity Index (AGaMI) in soccer and explore its differences to soccer player physical attributes, fitness, motivation and skills. A total 223 adolescent soccer athletes aged 12 to 18 years old were selected as respondent. AGaMI was develop based on anthropometric components (bicep, tricep, subscapular, suprailiac, calf circumference and muac) with growth and maturity component using tanner scale. Meanwhile, relative performance namely physical, fitness, motivation and skills attributes of soccer were measured as dependent variables. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) are used to achieve the objective in this study. AGaMI had categorized players into three different groups namely; high (5 players), moderate (88 players) and low (91 players). PCA revealed a moderate to very strong dominant range of 0.69 to 0.90 of factor loading on AGaMI. Further analysis assigned AGaMI groups as treated as independent variables (IV) and physical, fitness, motivation and skills attributes were treated as dependent variables (DV). Finally, ANOVA showed that flexibility, leg power, age, weight, height, sitting height, short and long pass are the most significant parameters statistically differentiate by the groups of AGaMI (p<0.05). As a summary, body fat mass, growth and maturity are an essential component differentiating the output of the soccer players relative performance. In future, information of the AGaMI model are useful to the coach and players for identifying the suitable biological and physiological demand reflects more comprehensive means of youth soccer relative performance. This study further highlights the importance of assessing AGaMI when identifying soccer relative performance.

Peptide (Lys-Leu) and amino acids (Lys and Leu) supplementations improve physiological activity and fermentation performance of brewer's yeast during very high-gravity (VHG) wort fermentation.

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Yang, Huirong; Zong, Xuyan; Cui, Chun; Mu, Lixia; Zhao, Haifeng

2017-12-22

Lys and Leu were generally considered as the key amino acids for brewer's yeast during beer brewing. In the present study, peptide Lys-Leu and a free amino acid (FAA) mixture of Lys and Leu (Lys + Leu) were supplemented in 24 °P wort to examine their effects on physiological activity and fermentation performance of brewer's yeast during very high-gravity (VHG) wort fermentation. Results showed that although both peptide Lys-Leu and their FAA mixture supplementations could increase the growth and viability, intracellular trehalose and glycerol content, wort fermentability, and ethanol content for brewer's yeast during VHG wort fermentation, and peptide was better than their FAA mixture at promoting growth and fermentation for brewer's yeast when the same dose was kept. Moreover, peptide Lys-Leu supplementation significantly increased the assimilation of Asp, but decreased the assimilation of Gly, Ala, Val, (Cys)2, Ile, Leu, Tyr, Phe, Lys, Arg, and Pro. However, the FAA mixture supplementation only promoted the assimilation of Lys and Leu, while reduced the absorption of total amino acids to a greater extent. Thus, the peptide Lys-Leu was more effective than their FAA mixture on the improvement of physiological activity, fermentation performance, and nitrogen metabolism of brewer's yeast during VHG wort fermentation. © 2017 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

The acute effects of graded physiological strain on soccer kicking performance: a randomized, controlled cross-over study.

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Radman, Ivan; Wessner, Barbara; Bachl, Norbert; Ruzic, Lana; Hackl, Markus; Prpic, Tomislav; Markovic, Goran

2016-02-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the acute effects of graded physiological strain on soccer kicking performance. Twenty-eight semi-professional soccer players completed both experimental and control procedure. The experimental protocol incorporated repeated shooting trials combined with a progressive discontinuous maximal shuttle-run intervention. The initial running velocity was 8 km/h and increasing for 1 km/h every 3 min until exhaustion. The control protocol comprised only eight subsequent shooting trials. The soccer-specific kicking accuracy (KA; average distance from the ball-entry point to the goal center), kicking velocity (KV), and kicking quality (KQ; kicking accuracy divided by the time elapsed from hitting the ball to the point of entry) were evaluated via reproducible and valid test over five individually determined exercise intensity zones. Compared with baseline or exercise at intensities below the second lactate threshold (LT2), physiological exertion above the LT2 (blood lactate > 4 mmol/L) resulted in meaningful decrease in KA (11-13%; p soccer kicking performance. The results suggest that high-intensity physiological exertion above the player's LT2 impairs soccer kicking performance. In contrast, light to moderate physiological stress appears to be neither harmful nor beneficial for kicking performance.

Sox21 deletion in mice causes postnatal growth deficiency without physiological disruption of hypothalamic-pituitary endocrine axes.

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Cheung, Leonard Y M; Okano, Hideyuki; Camper, Sally A

2017-01-05

The hypothalamic-pituitary axes are the coordinating centers for multiple endocrine gland functions and physiological processes. Defects in the hypothalamus or pituitary gland can cause reduced growth and severe short stature, affecting approximately 1 in 4000 children, and a large percentage of cases of pituitary hormone deficiencies do not have an identified genetic cause. SOX21 is a protein that regulates hair, neural, and trophoblast stem cell differentiation. Mice lacking Sox21 have reduced growth, but the etiology of this growth defect has not been described. We studied the expression of Sox21 in hypothalamic-pituitary development and examined multiple endocrine axes in these mice. We find no evidence of reduced intrauterine growth, food intake, or physical activity, but there is evidence for increased energy expenditure in mutants. In addition, despite changes in pituitary hormone expression, hypothalamic-pituitary axes appear to be functional. Therefore, SOX21 variants may be a cause of non-endocrine short stature in humans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

SREBP-regulated lipid metabolism: convergent physiology - divergent pathophysiology.

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Shimano, Hitoshi; Sato, Ryuichiro

2017-12-01

Cellular lipid metabolism and homeostasis are controlled by sterol regulatory-element binding proteins (SREBPs). In addition to performing canonical functions in the transcriptional regulation of genes involved in the biosynthesis and uptake of lipids, genome-wide system analyses have revealed that these versatile transcription factors act as important nodes of convergence and divergence within biological signalling networks. Thus, they are involved in myriad physiological and pathophysiological processes, highlighting the importance of lipid metabolism in biology. Changes in cell metabolism and growth are reciprocally linked through SREBPs. Anabolic and growth signalling pathways branch off and connect to multiple steps of SREBP activation and form complex regulatory networks. In addition, SREBPs are implicated in numerous pathogenic processes such as endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammation, autophagy and apoptosis, and in this way, they contribute to obesity, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative diseases and cancers. This Review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of SREBPs in physiology and pathophysiology at the cell, organ and organism levels.

Physiological performance of plaice Pleuronectes platessa (L.): from Static to Dynamic Energy Budgets.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

v.d. Veer, H.; Cardoso, J.F.M.F.; Peck, M.A.; Kooijman, S.A.L.M.

2009-01-01

In the present study, various body size scaling relationships describing the physiological performance of plaice Pleuronectes platessa (L.) were derived using a dynamic energy budget (DEB) model and compared with allometric relationships derived from a static energy budget (SEB) model. Results

Effects of exercise on tumor physiology and metabolism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Line; Christensen, Jesper Frank; Hojman, Pernille

2015-01-01

. Here, we review the body of literature describing exercise intervention studies performed in rodent tumor models and elaborate on potential mechanistic effects of exercise on tumor physiology. Exercise has been shown to reduce tumor incidence, tumor multiplicity, and tumor growth across numerous...... different transplantable, chemically induced or genetic tumor models. We propose 4 emerging mechanistic effects of exercise, including (1) vascularization and blood perfusion, (2) immune function, (3) tumor metabolism, and (4) muscle-to-cancer cross-talk, and discuss these in details. In conclusion......, exercise training has the potential to be a beneficial and integrated component of cancer management, but has yet to fully elucidate its potential. Understanding the mechanistic effects of exercise on tumor physiology is warranted. Insight into these mechanistic effects is emerging, but experimental...

Smolt physiology and endocrinology: Chapter 5

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McCormick, Stephen D.; McCormick, Stephen D.; Farrell, Anthony Peter; Brauner, Colin J.

2012-01-01

The parr-smolt transformation of anadromous salmonids is a suite of behavioral, morphological, and physiological changes that are preparatory for downstream migration and seawater entry. The timing of smolt development varies among species, occurring soon after hatching in pink and chum salmon and after one to several years in Atlantic salmon. In many species the transformation is size dependent and occurs in spring, mediated through photoperiod and temperature cues. Smolt development is stimulated by several hormones including growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, cortisol, and thyroid hormones, whereas prolactin is generally inhibitory. Increased salinity tolerance is one of the most important and tractable changes, and is caused by alteration in the function of the major osmoregulatory organs, the gill, gut, and kidney. Increased abundance of specific ion transporters (Na+/K+-ATPase, Na+/K+/Cl− cotransporter and apical Cl− channel) in gill ionocytes results in increased salt secretory capacity, increased growth and swimming performance in seawater, and higher marine survival.

Associative bacteria influence maize (Zea mays L.) growth, physiology and root anatomy under different nitrogen levels.

Science.gov (United States)

Calzavara, Anderson Kikuchi; Paiva, Pedro Henrique Godoy; Gabriel, Lorrant Cavanha; de Oliveira, André Luiz Martinez; Milani, Karina; Oliveira, Halley Caixeta; Bianchini, Edmilson; Pimenta, José Antonio; de Oliveira, Maria Cristina Neves; Dias-Pereira, Jaqueline; Stolf-Moreira, Renata

2018-05-15

Despite the great diversity of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) with potential to partially replace the use of N-fertilizers in agriculture, few PGPB are explored for the production of commercial inoculants, reinforcing the importance of identifying positive plant-bacteria interactions. Aiming to better understand the influence of PGPB inoculation in plant development, two PGPB species with distant phylogenetic relationship were inoculated in maize. Maize seeds were inoculated with Bacillus sp. or Azospirillum brasilense. After germinating, the plants were subjected to two nitrogen treatments: full (N+) and limiting (N-) nitrogen supply. Then, anatomical, biometric and physiological analyses were performed. Both PGPB species modified the anatomical pattern of roots, as verified by the higher metaxylem vessel elements (MVE) number. Bacillus sp. also increased the MVE area in maize roots. Under N+ condition, both PGPB decreased the leaf protein content and led to the development of shorter roots; however, Bacillus sp. increased root and shoot dry weight, whereas A. brasilense increased photosynthesis rate and leaf nitrate content. In plants subjected to N limitation (N-), photosynthesis rate and photosystem II efficiency increased in those inoculated with Bacillus sp., whilst A. brasilense led to higher ammonium, amino acids and total soluble sugars contents in the leaves, compared to control. Plant developmental and metabolical patterns were switched by the inoculation, regardless the inoculant bacteria used, producing similar as well as distinct modifications on the parameters studied. These results indicatie that even non-diazotrophic inoculant strains can improve the plant N-status as result of the morpho-anatomical and physiological modifications produced by the PGPB. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Effect of Salicylic Acid on the Growth and Physiological Characteristics of Maize under Stress Conditions

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Manzoor, K.; Ilyas, N.; Batool, N.; Arshad, M.; Ahmad, B.

2015-01-01

Salicylic acid (SA) is a naturally occurring signaling molecule and growth regulator that enhances plant growth particularly in stress conditions. The present study was planned to evaluate the effects of different levels of SA on maize growth under drought and salt stress conditions. An experiment was conducted to test the morphological, physiological and biochemical changes in two cultivar of maize D-1184 and TG-8250. Varying levels of salicylic acid, i.e. 5mM, 10mM and 15mM were applied through foliar method. Exogenous applications of salicylic acid were done after 20 days of germination of the maize plants. Salicylic acid significantly affects root and shoot dry matter under drought and salt stress. Foliar application of SA significantly increased proline concentration (11 percentage and 12 percentage), amino acid accumulation (25 percentage and 18 percentage), relative water (17 percentage and 14 percentage) and Chlorophyll content. Overall, it can be concluded that SA at lower concentration is effective to minimize the effect of stress conditions. Maize cultivar TG-8250 showed better tolerance under drought and salt stress condition as compared to D-1184 cultivar. (author)

Elevated CO2, warmer temperatures and soil water deficit affect plant growth, physiology and water use of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Changes in temperature, atmospheric [CO2] and precipitation under the scenarios of projected climate change present a challenge to crop production, and may have significant impacts on the physiology, growth and yield of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). A glasshouse experiment explored the early growt...

Effect of type of binder on growth, digestibility, and energetic balance of Octopus maya

OpenAIRE

Rosas, C; Tut, J; Baeza, J; Sanchez, A; Sosa, V; Pascual, C; Arena, L; Domingues, P; Cuzon, Gerard

2008-01-01

The present study was designed to test the effects of type of binder on growth, nutritional physiology, total apparent digestibility, and some elements of the energetic balance of early O. maya juveniles. Two experiments were performed. One was aimed at evaluating the effect of type of binder on growth, nutritional physiology, and energetic balance and the other at knowing the effect of the binder on total apparent digestibility of O. maya. Binder type affected growth and survival of early O....

Effects of environmental enrichment on behaviour, physiology and performance of pigs: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mkwanazi, Mbusiseni Vusumuzi; Ncobela, Cyprial Ndumiso; Kanengoni, Arnold Tapera; Chimonyo, Michael

2017-06-26

The aim of this paper is to critically analyse and synthesise existing knowledge concerning the use of environmental enrichment and its effect on behaviour, physiology and performance of pigs housed in intensive production systems. The objective is also to provide clarity as to what constitute successful enrichment and recommend on when and how enrichment should be used. Environmental enrichment is usually understood as an attempt to improve animal welfare and to lesser extent, performance. Common enrichment objects used are straw bedding, suspended rope and wood shavings, toys, rubber tubing, coloured plastic keys, table tennis balls, chains and strings. These substrates need to be chewable, deformable, destructible and ingestible. For enrichment to be successful four goals are the prerequisite. Firstly, enrichment should increase the number and range of normal behaviours (2) prevent the phenomenon of anomalous behaviours or reduce their frequency (3) increase positive use of the environment such as space and (4) increase the ability of the animals to deal with behavioural and physiological challenges. The performance, behaviour and physiology of pigs in enriched environments is similar or in some cases slightly better when compared with barren environments. In studies where there was no improvement, it should be born in mind that enriching the environment may not always be practical and yield positive results due to factors such as type of enrichment substrates, duration of provision and type of enrichment used. The review also identifies possible areas which still need further research, especially in understanding the role of enrichment, novelty, breed differences and other enrichment alternatives.

Growth and physiological responses of two phenotypically distinct accessions of centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.) to salt stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, JianJian; Ma, Jingjing; Guo, Hailin; Zong, Junqin; Chen, Jingbo; Wang, Yi; Li, Dandan; Li, Ling; Wang, Jingjing; Liu, Jianxiu

2018-05-01

Salinity is one of the major abiotic environmental stress factors affecting plant growth and development. Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides [Munro)] Hack.) is an important warm-season turfgrass species with low turf maintenance requirements, but is sensitive to salinity stress. To explore salt tolerant germplasms in centipedegrass and better understand the growth and physiological responses of centipedegrass to salinity, we conducted anatomic observation and phytochemical quantification, examined growth parameters, and investigated photosynthetic machinery and antioxidant system in two phenotypically distinct centipedegrass accessions under NaCl salt stress. The morphophenotypical difference of the stems in the two accessions mainly depends on whether or not a thickened epidermal horny layer with purple colour was formed, which was caused by anthocyanin accumulation in the tissue. Successive salinity treatment was found to result in an inhibition of leaf growth, a marked decrease in photosynthesis, chlorophyll contents, and the maximal photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm). Under the same treatment, purple-stem accession (E092) showed a lower degree of inhibition or decrease than green-stem one (E092-1). With the exception of malondialdehyde level, both proline content and antioxidant enzymes were upregulated to a greater extent in E092 following exposure to salinity condition. Meanwhile, significant enhancements of anthocyanin accumulation and total protein synthesis were detected in E092 after salt treatment, but not in E092-1. These results demonstrated that E092 favor better accumulation of anthocyanins under salinity condition, which contribute to salt tolerance by adjusting physiological functions and osmotic balance, and better maintenance of high turf quality. Hence, genetic phenotype can be utilized as a key indicator in E. ophiuroides breeding for salt-tolerance. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

A Longitudinal Study of Growth, Sex Steroids, and IGF-1 in Boys With Physiological Gynecomastia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mieritz, Mikkel G; Rakêt, Lars L; Hagen, Casper P; Nielsen, John E; Talman, Maj-Lis M; Petersen, Jørgen H; Sommer, Stefan H; Main, Katharina M; Jørgensen, Niels; Juul, Anders

2015-10-01

Physiological gynecomastia is common and affects a large proportion of otherwise healthy adolescent boys. It is thought to be caused by an imbalance between estrogen and testosterone, although this is rarely evident in analyses of serum. This study aimed to describe the frequency of physiological gynecomastia and to determine possible etiological factors (eg, auxology and serum hormone levels) in a longitudinal setup. A prospective cohort study of 106 healthy Danish boys (5.8-16.4 years) participated in the longitudinal part of the COPENHAGEN Puberty Study. The boys were examined every 6 months during an 8-year follow-up. Median number of examinations was 10 (2-15). Blood samples were analyzed for FSH, LH, testosterone, estradiol, SHBG, inhibin B, anti-Müllerian hormone, IGF-1, and IGF binding protein-3 by immunoassays. Auxological parameters, pubertal development, and the presence of gynecomastia were evaluated at each visit. Fifty-two of 106 boys (49%) developed gynecomastia, of which 10 (19%) presented with intermittent gynecomastia. Boys with physiological gynecomastia reached peak height velocity at a significantly younger age than boys who did not develop gynecomastia (13.5 versus 13.9 years, P = .027), and they had significantly higher serum levels of IGF-1 (P = .000), estradiol (P = .013), free testosterone (P Gynecomastia is frequent in pubertal boys. Increased IGF-1 levels and pubertal growth appear to be associated, whereas changes in estrogen to testosterone ratio seem negligible.

Post-fire wood management alters water stress, growth, and performance of pine regeneration in a Mediterranean ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Maranon-Jimenez, Sara; Castro, Jorge; Querejeta, José Ignacio; Fernandez-Ondono, Emilia; Allen, Craig D.

2013-01-01

Extensive research has focused on comparing the impacts of post-fire salvage logging versus those of less aggressive management practices on forest regeneration. However, few studies have addressed the effects of different burnt-wood management options on seedling/sapling performance, or the ecophysiological mechanisms underlying differences among treatments. In this study, we experimentally assess the effects of post-fire management of the burnt wood on the growth and performance of naturally regenerating pine seedlings (Pinus pinaster). Three post-fire management treatments varying in degree of intervention were implemented seven months after a high-severity wildfire burned Mediterranean pine forests in the Sierra Nevada, southeast Spain: (a) “No Intervention” (NI, all burnt trees left standing); (b) “Partial Cut plus Lopping” (PCL, felling most of the burnt trees, cutting off branches, and leaving all the biomass on site without mastication); and (c) “Salvage Logging” (SL, felling the burnt trees, piling up the logs and masticating the fine woody debris). Three years after the fire, the growth, foliar nutrient concentrations, and leaf carbon, nitrogen and oxygen isotopic composition (δ13C, δ18O and δ15N) of naturally regenerating seedlings were measured in all the treatments. Pine seedlings showed greatest vigor and size in the PCL treatment, whereas growth was poorest in SL. The nutrient concentrations were similar among treatments, although greater growth in the two treatments with residual wood present indicated higher plant uptake. Seedlings in the SL treatment showed high leaf δ13C and δ18O values indicating severe water stress, in contrast to significantly alleviated water stress indications in the PCL treatment. Seedling growth and physiological performance in NI was intermediate between that of PCL and SL. After six growing seasons, P. pinaster saplings in PCL showed greater growth and cone production than SL saplings. In summary

Combined effects of drought stress and npk foliar spray on growth, physiological processes and nutrient uptake in wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shabir, R.N.; Waraocj, E.A.

2015-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of supplemental foliar nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) spray, alone or in various combinations, on physiological processes and nutrients uptake in wheat under water deficit conditions. The study comprised of two phases; during the first phase, ten local wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes were evaluated for their response to PEG-6000 induced osmotic stress. One drought tolerant (Bhakkar-2002) and sensitive (Shafaq-2006) genotype selected from screening experiments were used in the second phase to determine the individual and combined effects of N, P and K foliar spray on physiological mechanisms in wheat under drought stress. The results revealed that limited water supply significantly reduced germination, growth and uptake of N, P and K. Supplemental foliar fertilisation of these macronutrients alone or in different combinations significantly improved the water relations, gas exchange characteristics and nutrient contents in both the genotypes. Bhakkar-2002 maintained higher turgor, net CO/sub 2/ assimilation rate (Pn), transpiration rate (E), stomatal conductance (gs) and accumulated more N, P and K in shoot than Shafaq-2006. The foliar spray of NPK in combination was effective in improving wheat growth under both well-watered and water-deficit conditions. (author)

The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition and precocious maturation of early-rearing Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

Science.gov (United States)

Waldrop, Thomas; Summerfelt, Steven T.; Mazik, Patricia M.; Good, Christopher

2018-01-01

Swimming exercise, typically measured in body-lengths per second (BL/s), and dissolved oxygen (DO), are important environmental variables in fish culture. While there is an obvious physiological association between these two parameters, their interaction has not been adequately studied in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Because exercise and DO are variables that can be easily manipulated in modern aquaculture systems, we sought to assess the impact of these parameters, alone and in combination, on the performance, health and welfare of juvenile Atlantic salmon. In our study, Atlantic salmon fry were stocked into 12 circular 0.5 m3 tanks in a flow-through system and exposed to either high (1.5–2 BL/s) or low (exercise and DO concentration on growth, feed conversion, survival and fin condition. By study's end, both increased swimming speed and higher DO were independently associated with a statistically significant increase in growth performance (p exercise and dissolved oxygen at saturation during Atlantic salmon early rearing can result in improved growth performance and a lower incidence of precocious parr.

Effects of Modified Multistage Field Test on Performance and Physiological Responses in Wheelchair Basketball Players

Science.gov (United States)

Weissland, Thierry; Faupin, Arnaud; Borel, Benoit; Berthoin, Serge; Leprêtre, Pierre-Marie

2015-01-01

A bioenergetical analysis of manoeuvrability and agility performance for wheelchair players is inexistent. It was aimed at comparing the physiological responses and performance obtained from the octagon multistage field test (MFT) and the modified condition in “8 form” (MFT-8). Sixteen trained wheelchair basketball players performed both tests in randomized condition. The levels performed (end-test score), peak values of oxygen uptake (VO2peak), minute ventilation (VEpeak), heart rate (HRpeak), peak and relative blood lactate (Δ[Lact−] = peak – rest values), and the perceived rating exertion (RPE) were measured. MFT-8 induced higher VO2peak and VEpeak values compared to MFT (VO2peak: 2.5 ± 0.6 versus 2.3 ± 0.6 L·min−1 and VEpeak: 96.3 ± 29.1 versus 86.6 ± 23.4 L·min−1; P physiological responses than MFT. It could be explained by demands of wheelchair skills occurring in 8 form during the modified condition. PMID:25802841

Haematology, serum biochemistry and growth performance of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

High performing does have the tendency of producing healthy kids with reasonable weight at birth compared to least performing does. A study was conducted to investigate the haematology, serum biochemistry and growth performance of grazing pregnant Kalahari Red does fed concentrate diets at three protein levels.

N-fertilization has different effects on the growth, carbon and nitrogen physiology, and wood properties of slow- and fast-growing Populus species.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hong; Li, Mengchun; Luo, Jie; Cao, Xu; Qu, Long; Gai, Ying; Jiang, Xiangning; Liu, Tongxian; Bai, Hua; Janz, Dennis; Polle, Andrea; Peng, Changhui; Luo, Zhi-Bin

2012-10-01

To investigate how N-fertilization affects the growth, carbon and nitrogen (N) physiology, and wood properties of poplars with contrasting growth characteristics, slow-growing (Populus popularis, Pp) and fast-growing (P. alba×P. glandulosa, Pg) poplar saplings were exposed to different N levels. Above-ground biomass, leaf area, photosynthetic rates (A), instantaneous photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE (i)), chlorophyll and foliar sugar concentrations were higher in Pg than in Pp. Foliar nitrate reductase (NR) activities and root glutamate synthase (GOGAT) activities were higher in Pg than in Pp as were the N amount and NUE of new shoots. Lignin contents and calorific values of Pg wood were less than that of Pp wood. N-fertilization reduced root biomass of Pg more than of Pp, but increased leaf biomass, leaf area, A, and PNUE(i) of Pg more than of Pp. Among 13 genes involved in the transport of ammonium or nitrate or in N assimilation, transcripts showed more pronounced changes to N-fertilization in Pg than in Pp. Increases in NR activities and N contents due to N-fertilization were larger in Pg than in Pp. In both species, N-fertilization resulted in lower calorific values as well as shorter and wider vessel elements/fibres. These results suggest that growth, carbon and N physiology, and wood properties are more sensitive to increasing N availability in fast-growing poplars than in slow-growing ones, which is probably due to prioritized resource allocation to the leaves and accelerated N physiological processes in fast-growing poplars under higher N levels.

Evaluation of the Effects of Biological and Chemical Fertilizers on Some Physiological and Growth Characteristics of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samira Menbari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the use of soil-born microorganisms as biological fertilizers is considered to be a natural and most desirable solution to maintain sustainability of agricultural soil system. Potassium releasing bacteria, nitrogen fixing and phosphorus dissolving bacteria make mentioned elements available to plants. In order to evaluate the effects of bio-fertilizers Potabarvar 2, Sinorhizobium meliloti, as well as urea fertilizer on physiological properties and yield of Fenugreek, an experiment as complete randomized block design was conducted with five treatments and three replications. Treatments included biofertilizer Potabarvar 2, S. meliloti, inoculation with a mixture of Sinorhizobium+Potabarvar 2, positive control (based on soil analysis and negative control (no fertilization and inoculation.The results showed that all morphological traits were significant at 1%. Most physiological traits except for carotenoid were significantly affected by S. meliloti, and a mixture of Sinorhizobium+Potabarvar 2. Seed inoculation with biofertilizer Sinorhizobium meliloti and Potabarvar 2 lead to increase in growth and eventually shoot yield. Separate application of these biofertilizers led to better results than the integrated application. Symbiotic relationship of Sinorhizobium with Fenugreek increased physiological indices data, especially the absorption of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as the amount of phenolic antioxidant have been significantly affected. In general, application of S. meliloti resulted in better and more effective increase in yield, quality and plant growth than fertilizer Potabarvar 2 and a mixture of Sinorhizobium+Potabarvar 2.

Performance of First-Year Health Sciences Students in a Large, Diverse, Multidisciplinary, First-Semester, Physiology Service Module

Science.gov (United States)

Tufts, Mark; Higgins-Opitz, Susan B.

2014-01-01

Health Science students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal perform better in their professional modules compared with their physiology modules. The pass rates of physiology service modules have steadily declined over the years. While a system is in place to identify "at-risk" students, it is only activated after the first semester. As a…

Comparative growth performance of different Australian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative growth performance of different Australian provenances and local land ... and Ubiri in the West Usambara Mountains (WUM), North East Tanzania. ... with local land races for subsequent management as seed production stands.

Enhanced performance of the microalga Chlorella sorokiniana remotely induced by the plant growth-promoting bacteria Azospirillum brasilense and Bacillus pumilus

Science.gov (United States)

Amavizca, Edgar; Bashan, Yoav; Ryu, Choong-Min; Farag, Mohamed A.; Bebout, Brad M.; de-Bashan, Luz E.

2017-01-01

Remote effects (occurring without physical contact) of two plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) Azospirillum brasilense Cd and Bacilus pumilus ES4 on growth of the green microalga Chlorella sorokiniana UTEX 2714 were studied. The two PGPB remotely enhanced the growth of the microalga, up to six-fold, and its cell volume by about three-fold. In addition to phenotypic changes, both bacteria remotely induced increases in the amounts of total lipids, total carbohydrates, and chlorophyll a in the cells of the microalga, indicating an alteration of the microalga’s physiology. The two bacteria produced large amounts of volatile compounds, including CO2, and the known plant growth-promoting volatile 2,3-butanediol and acetoin. Several other volatiles having biological functions in other organisms, as well as numerous volatile compounds with undefined biological roles, were detected. Together, these bacteria-derived volatiles can positively affect growth and metabolic parameters in green microalgae without physical attachment of the bacteria to the microalgae. This is a new paradigm on how PGPB promote growth of microalgae which may serve to improve performance of Chlorella spp. for biotechnological applications. PMID:28145473

Physiologic performance of oats seeds treated with tiametoxamDesempenho fisiológico de sementes de aveia-preta tratadas com tiametoxam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciana Regina Lauxen

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The bioactivator are complex organic substances that can alter the growth, capable of acting on the transcription of DNA into the plant, gene expression, cell membrane proteins, metabolic enzymes and mineral nutrition. The insecticide thiamethoxam has demonstrated positive effects as increased expression of vigor and biomass formation, the elevation of photosynthetic rate and the formation of deeper roots. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiologic performance of tiamethoxan on the oat. Were used oat seeds and product concentrations 0.0, 100, 200, 300, 400ml. to 100 kg of seeds. To evaluate the physiological quality of seeds were carried by germination test, first germination, cold test, seedling length, shtoot and root, tetrazolium test and emergency in the greenhouse. The product tiamethoxan stimulates physiologic performance of oat seeds. The use of the 300 ml of tiametoxam per 100kg, seeds shown to be more efficient to improve the physiological performance of seed oat. Os bioativadores são substâncias orgânicas complexas, modificadoras do crescimento, capazes de atuar na transcrição do DNA na planta, na expressão gênica, em proteínas da membrana celular e enzimas metabólicas e na nutrição mineral. O inseticida tiametoxam tem demonstrado efeitos positivos como o aumento da expressão do vigor e do acúmulo de fitomassa, a elevação da taxa fotossintética e a formação de raízes mais profundas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência do tiametoxan no desempenho fisiológico de sementes de aveia-preta. Foram utilizadas, para tratamento das sementes de aveia-preta, concentrações do produto de 0,0, 100, 200, 300, 400 mL para 100 kg de sementes. Para avaliação da qualidade fisiológica das sementes foram conduzidos os testes de germinação, primeira contagem de germinação, de frio, comprimento de plântula, aéreo e radicular, tetrazólio e emergência de plântulas em casa de vegetação. O produto

Playing vs. Nonplaying Aerobic Training in Tennis: Physiological and Performance Outcomes

OpenAIRE

Pialoux, Vincent; Genevois, Cyril; Capoen, Arnaud; Forbes, Scott C.; Thomas, Jordan; Rogowski, Isabelle

2015-01-01

This study compared the effects of playing and nonplaying high intensity intermittent training (HIIT) on physiological demands and tennis stroke performance in young tennis players. Eleven competitive male players (13.4 ± 1.3 years) completed both a playing and nonplaying HIIT session of equal distance, in random order. During each HIIT session, heart rate (HR), blood lactate, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were monitored. Before and after each HIIT session, the velocity and accuracy...

Performance of first-year health sciences students in a large, diverse, multidisciplinary, first-semester, physiology service module.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins-Opitz, Susan B; Tufts, Mark

2014-06-01

Health Science students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal perform better in their professional modules compared with their physiology modules. The pass rates of physiology service modules have steadily declined over the years. While a system is in place to identify "at-risk" students, it is only activated after the first semester. As a result, it is only from the second semester of their first year studies onward that at-risk students can be formally assisted. The challenge is thus to devise an appropriate strategy to identify struggling students earlier in the semester. Using questionnaires, students were asked about attendance, financing of their studies, and relevance of physiology. After the first class test, failing students were invited to complete a second questionnaire. In addition, demographic data were also collected and analyzed. Correlation analyses were undertaken of performance indicators based on the demographical data collected. The 2011 class comprised mainly sport science students (57%). The pass rate of sport science students was lower than the pass rates of other students (42% vs. 70%, P physiology and recognized its relevance. Key issues identified were problems understanding concepts and terminology, poor study environment and skills, and lack of matriculation biology. The results of the first class test and final module marks correlated well. It is clear from this study that student performance in the first class test is a valuable tool to identify struggling students and that appropriate testing should be held as early as possible. Copyright © 2014 The American Physiological Society.

Physiological Assessment of Water Stress in Potato Using Spectral Information.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, Angela P; Alarcón, Andrés; Valbuena, Raúl I; Galeano, Carlos H

2017-01-01

Water stress in potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) causes considerable losses in yield, and therefore, potato is often considered to be a drought sensitive crop. Identification of water deficit tolerant potato genotypes is an adaptation strategy to mitigate the climatic changes that are occurring in the Cundiboyacense region in Colombia. Previous studies have evaluated potato plants under water stress conditions using physiological analyses. However, these methodologies require considerable amounts of time and plant material to perform these measurements. This study evaluated and compared the physiological and spectral traits between two genotypes, Diacol Capiro and Perla Negra under two drought levels (10 and 15 days without irrigation from flowering). Reflectance information was used to calculate indexes which were associated with the physiological behavior in plants. The results showed that spectral information was correlated (ρ < 0.0001) with physiological variables such as foliar area (FA), total water content (H 2 Ot), relative growth rate of potato tubers (RGTtub), leaf area ratio (LAR), and foliar area index (AFI). In general, there was a higher concentration of chlorophyll under drought treatments. In addition, Perla Negra under water deficit treatments did not show significant differences in its physiological variables. Therefore, it could be considered a drought tolerant genotype because its physiological performance was not affected under water stress conditions. However, yield was affected in both genotypes after being subject to 15 days of drought. The results suggested that reflectance indexes are a useful and affordable approach for potato phenotyping to select parent and segregant populations in breeding programs.

Effect of feeding frequencies on growth performance of Clarias ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of feeding frequencies on growth performance of Clarias gariepinus. CI Ayo-Olalusi, AAA Ugwumba. Abstract. Investigations were carried out on the growth performance of juvenile Clarias gariepinus using four different feeding frequencies. Two hundred and forty juveniles (8.6 +0.0 g) were stocked in eight aquaria ...

Emergence time and skin melanin spot patterns do not correlate with growth performance, social competitive ability or stress response in farmed rainbow trout

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gesto, Manuel; Skov, Peter Vilhelm; Jokumsen, Alfred

2017-01-01

dissimilarities in the acute stress responses, emergence fraction displayed no correlation with growth rates, or the ability to compete for feed. Within the whole group of fish utilized in the experiments, no relationship between skinmelanin spot pattern and growth performance, stress response intensity......, or competitive ability was found. Altogether, the differences in physiological traits related to emergence time were not as strong as those found in earlier studies. It is hypothesized, that the origin and degree of domestication of the fish might be partly responsible for this. The predictive value of skin...... spots or emergence time to infer the fish stress coping style in farmed fish is also discussed...

Physiological responses and performance in a simulated trampoline gymnastics competition in elite male gymnasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Peter; Scott, Suzanne; Krustrup, Peter

2013-01-01

Abstract Physiological responses and performance were examined during and after a simulated trampoline competition (STC). Fifteen elite trampoline gymnasts participated, of which whereas eight completed two routines (EX1 and EX2) and a competition final (EX3). Trampoline-specific activities were...... gymnastic competition includes a high number of repeated explosive and energy demanding jumps, which impairs jump performance during and 24 h post-competition....

Plant growth regulators and ascorbic acid effects on physiological quality of wheat seedlings obtained from deteriorated seeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moori, S.; Eisv, H.R.

2017-01-01

This study attempted to examine the effect of seed priming using plant growth regulators and vitamin C on the physiological traits of non-aged and aged seeds of wheat and their obtained seedlings. Accelerated aging (AA) method (40 degree C, RH=100% for 72h) was used for aging seeds. The seeds were pre-treated by gibberellin (GA), salicylic acid (SA), brassinosteroid (BR), and ascorbic acid (AS). Some seed traits such as germination and electric conductivity (EC) and seedling traits such as malondialdehyde (MDA) content, activity of some antioxidant enzymes, soluble protein content (SP), soluble sugar (SS), and proline were measured seven days after germination. The results showed that accelerated aging of seeds reduces the germination percentage and speed, increases soluble sugar, and reduces soluble protein, activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the seedling. Pre-treatment of the aged seed by GA had the maximum positive impact on seed germination and seedling growth. Priming improved germination indices, quality of seedling, and seedling resistance against the oxidative stress caused by AA. It also improved cell membrane integrity and thus reduced seeds’ EC. Priming increased the activity of CAT, POD and SOD enzymes in both aged and non-aged seeds. When the deteriorated seeds were primed, proline and SS contents of the seedling increased significantly, but SP and MDA decreased. In general, pre-treatment of the non-aged and aged seeds by gibberellin improved the physiological quality of the seed and seedling. (author)

Milk Production, Physiological Condition and Performance of Etawa Crossbreed Goats Feed by Ration Supplemented with Mangosteen Peel Flour

Science.gov (United States)

Dzarnisa; Rachmadi, D.; Azhar, A.; Fakhrur Riza, R.; Hidayati, A.

2018-02-01

Study on the effect of the addition of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) peel flour on physiological condition and performance of Etawa crossbreed goats was done. This was to grant the use of mangosteen peel flour that rich of antioxidants and has variety good benefits for health as feed additive for cattle. This study used a Complete Randomized Block Design consisting of 4 treatment groups and 4 replications each. Subjects were 16 female Etawa crossbreed goats randomly designed into treatments group based on lactation periods. Subjects were feed with traditional rations (control, A), traditional rations and 2.5% mangosteen peel flour (B), tradition rations and 5% mangosteen peel flour (C), and traditional rations and 7,5 % mangosteen peel flour (D). Data on performance (milk production) and physiological condition (respiratory frequency, rectal temperature, and heart rate) obtained were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the addition of mangosteen peel flour as food additive in the rations resulted in variations in the milk production, physiological condition (rectal temperature, heart rate and respiration frequency) and performances (daily weigh gain, food consumption, ration conversion and breast volume) of Etawa crossbreed goats, but significant effect was only observed in the respiration frequency. The addition of 2.5% mangosteen peel flour in the ration caused the best, expected effects on milk production physiological condition and performance of Etawa crossbreed goats.

Identifying blood biomarkers and physiological processes that distinguish humans with superior performance under psychological stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda M Cooksey

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Attrition of students from aviation training is a serious financial and operational concern for the U.S. Navy. Each late stage navy aviator training failure costs the taxpayer over $1,000,000 and ultimately results in decreased operational readiness of the fleet. Currently, potential aviators are selected based on the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB, which is a series of multiple-choice tests that evaluate basic and aviation-related knowledge and ability. However, the ASTB does not evaluate a person's response to stress. This is important because operating sophisticated aircraft demands exceptional performance and causes high psychological stress. Some people are more resistant to this type of stress, and consequently better able to cope with the demands of naval aviation, than others.Although many psychological studies have examined psychological stress resistance none have taken advantage of the human genome sequence. Here we use high-throughput -omic biology methods and a novel statistical data normalization method to identify plasma proteins associated with human performance under psychological stress. We identified proteins involved in four basic physiological processes: innate immunity, cardiac function, coagulation and plasma lipid physiology.The proteins identified here further elucidate the physiological response to psychological stress and suggest a hypothesis that stress-susceptible pilots may be more prone to shock. This work also provides potential biomarkers for screening humans for capability of superior performance under stress.

Effects of music tempo on performance, psychological, and physiological variables during 20 km cycling in well-trained cyclists.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-01

Few studies have investigated the effects of music on trained athletes during high intensity endurance tasks. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of different music tempi on performance, psychological, and physiological responses of well-trained cyclists to time trial cycling. 10 male road cyclists (M age = 35 yr., SD = 7), with a minimum of three years racing experience, performed four 20-km time trials on a Computrainer Pro 3D indoor cycle trainer over a period of four weeks. The time-trials were spaced one week apart. The music conditions for each trial were randomised between fast-tempo (140 bpm), medium-tempo (120 bpm), slow-tempo (100 bpm), and no music. Performance (completion time, power output, average speed and cadence), physiological (heart rate, oxygen consumption, breathing frequency and respiratory exchange ratio), psychophysical (RPE), and psychological (mood states) data were collected for each trial. Results indicated no significant changes in performance, physiological, or psychophysical variables. Total mood disturbance and tension increased significantly in the fast-tempo trial when compared with medium and no-music conditions.

Radiolytically degraded sodium alginate enhances plant growth, physiological activities and alkaloids production in Catharanthus roseus L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Naeem

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Catharanthus roseus (L. G. Don (Family Apocynaceae is a medicinal plant that produces indole alkaloids used in cancer chemotherapy. The anticancerous alkaloids, viz. vinblastine and vincristine, are mainly present in the leaves of C. roseus. High demand and low yield of these alkaloids in the plant has led to explore the alternative means for their production. Gamma irradiated sodium alginate (ISA has proved as a plant growth promoting substance for various medicinal and agricultural crops. A pot culture experiment was carried out to explore the effect of ISA on plant growth, physiological activities and production of anticancer alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine in C. roseus at 120 and 150 days after planting (DAP. Foliar application of ISA (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 mg L−1 significantly improved the performance of C. roseus. 80 mg L−1 of ISA enhanced the leaf-yield by 25.3 and 30.2% and the herbage-yield by 29.4 and 34.4% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively, as compared to the control. The spray treatment of ISA at 80 mg L−1 improved the yield of vinblastine by 66.7 and 71.4% and of vincristine by 67.6 and 75.6% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively, in comparison to the control. As compared to control, the application of ISA at 80 mg L−1 resulted in the maximum swell in the content and yield of vindoline, increasing them by 18.9 and 20.8% and by 81.8 and 87.2% at 120 and 150 DAP, respectively.

Growth performance of broilers in experimental Reovirus infections

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudhakar P. Awandkar

Full Text Available Background: The avian reoviruses have emerged to induce various manifestations in chickens. They are associated with disease conditions including malabsorption syndrome, tenosynovitis etc. Reoviruses are an important cause of suboptimum performance in broilers, resulting in poor growth performance. Poultry industry in India is facing a catastrophe due to such infections which go unnoticed in field due to masking of the symptoms by secondary infections and commonly observed nutritional disorders. Aim: To investigate the effect of reovirus infection on overall performance of broiler birds. Material and Methods: The broiler birds were challenged with homologous strains of malabsorption syndrome and tenosynovitis syndrome of reovirus. The growth performance was recorded. Results and conclusion: The growth performance and immune response to NDV did not differ in the birds challenged with tenosynovitis syndrome strain of reo virus as compared to un challenged birds. However, poor live body weight, feed intake, FCR, PE and BPEI and better serum NDV titres were found in chicks challenged with malabsorption syndrome strain of reovirus as compared to the chicks from control group. [Vet World 2012; 5(11.000: 685-689

Physiological-phased kinetic characteristics of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris growth and lipid synthesis considering synergistic effects of light, carbon and nutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Qiang; Chang, Hai-Xing; Fu, Qian; Huang, Yun; Xia, Ao; Zhu, Xun; Zhong, Nianbing

2018-02-01

To comprehensively understand kinetic characteristics of microalgae growth and lipid synthesis in different phases, a phase-feeding strategy was proposed to simultaneously regulate light, carbon and nutrients in adaption, growth and stationary phases of microalgae cultivation. Physiological-phased kinetic characteristics of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris growth and lipid synthesis under synergistic effects of light, carbon and nutrients were investigated, and supply-demand relationships of electrons and energy between light and dark reactions of photosynthesis process were discussed. Finally, the optimized cultivation strategy for microalgae in various phases were obtained, under which the lipid productivity was significantly improved from 130.11 mg/L/d to 163.42 mg/L/d. The study provided some important guidance for the large-scale production of biofuels from microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth performance, carcass and hematological characteristics of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth performance, carcass and hematological characteristics of rabbits fed graded levels of tiger nuts ( Cyperus esculentus ) ... (p>0.05) difference between treatments. Results demonstrated that (Cyperus esculentus) could be used up to 5% in rabbit's diets without adverse effect on the animals' performance and health.

Measuring mental workload and physiological reactions in marine pilots: Building bridges towards redlines of performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Orlandi, Luca; Brooks, Benjamin

2018-05-01

This paper investigates the effects of shiphandling manoeuvres on mental workload and physiological reactions in ten marine pilots. Each pilot performed four berthings in a ship simulator. Those berthings were differentiated by two factors, level of difficulty and familiarity with the port. Each berthing could also be divided into five phases, three during the execution and two resting periods, one before and one after the execution (dedicated to baseline physiological data collection). Mental workload was measured through two self assessment scales: the NASA TLX and a Likert scale. Power spectral densities on Beta bands 1 and 2 were obtained from EEG. Heart rate and heart rate variability were obtained from ECG. Pupil dilation was obtained from eye tracking. Workload levels were higher as berthings increased in difficulty level and/or the pilots completed the berthings in unfamiliar ports. Responses differed across specific phases of the berthings. Physiological responses could indirectly monitor levels of mental workload, and could be adopted in future applications to evaluate training improvements and performance. This study provides an example of an applied methodology aiming to define an upper redline of task demands in the context of marine pilotage. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Growth performance comparison of intercross-triploid, induced-triploid, and diploid female rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Science.gov (United States)

Triploidy is used in rainbow trout aquaculture as a means of inducing sterility to avoid the negative impacts of gonadal maturation on growth, fillet quality, and disease resistance; and for genetic isolation. Numerous studies have shown physiological differences between triploid (3N) and diploid (...

Concerted changes in gene expression and cell physiology of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 during transitions between nitrogen and light-limited growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aquirre von Wobeser, E.; Ibelings, B.W.; Bok, J.M.; Krasikov, V.; Huisman, J.; Matthijs, H.C.P.

2011-01-01

Physiological adaptation and genome-wide expression profiles of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 in response to gradual transitions between nitrogen-limited and light-limited growth conditions were measured in continuous cultures. Transitions induced changes in pigment

Dust deposition effects on growth and physiology of the endangered Astragalus jaegerianus (Fabaceae)

Science.gov (United States)

Wijayratne, Upekala C.; Scoles-Sciulla, Sara J.; Defalco, Lesley A.

2009-01-01

Human expansion into the Mojave Desert is a significant threat to rare desert plants. While immediate habitat loss is often the greatest concern, rare plants situated near areas where soil surfaces experience frequent disturbance may be indirectly impacted when fine particulate dust accumulates on leaf surfaces. Remaining populations of the federally listed Astragalus jaegerianus (Lane Mountain milkvetch) occur on land open to expanding military activities and on adjacent public land with increasing recreational use. This study was initiated to determine whether dust accumulation could decrease the vigor and fitness of A. jaegerianus through reduced growth. Beginning in early May 2004, plants located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land were dusted bimonthly at canopy-level dust concentrations ranging from 0 to 32 g/m2, and physiology and growth were monitored until late June when plants senesced. The maximum experimental dust level simulates dust concentrations of Mojave Desert perennials neighboring military activities at a nearby army training center. Average shoot growth declined with increasing dust accumulation, but seasonal net photosynthesis increased. Further investigation of plants grown in a greenhouse supported similar trends. This pattern of greater net photosynthesis with increasing dust accumulation may be explained by higher leaf temperatures of dusted individuals. Ambient dust deposition measured in traps near field plants (May 2004–July 2004) ranged from 0.04–0.17 g/m2/ d, which was well below the lowest level of dust on experimental plants (3.95 g/m2/d). With this low level of ambient deposition, we expect that A. jaegerianus plants in this population were not greatly affected by the dust they receive at the level of recreational use during the study.

Performance factors in women's team handball: physical and physiological aspects--a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchado, Carmen; Tortosa-Martínez, Juan; Vila, Helena; Ferragut, Carmen; Platen, Petra

2013-06-01

Team handball is an Olympic sport played professionally in many European countries. Nevertheless, a scientific knowledge regarding women's elite team handball demands is limited. Thus, the purpose of this article was to review a series of studies (n = 33) on physical characteristics, physiological attributes, physical attributes, throwing velocity, and on-court performances of women's team handball players. Such empirical and practical information is essential to design and implement successful short-term and long-term training programs for women's team handball players. Our review revealed that (a) players that have a higher skill level are taller and have a higher fat-free mass; (b) players who are more aerobically resistant are at an advantage in international level women team handball; (c) strength and power exercises should be emphasized in conditioning programs, because they are associated with both sprint performance and throwing velocity; (d) speed drills should also be implemented in conditioning programs but after a decrease in physical training volume; (e) a time-motion analysis is an effective method of quantifying the demands of team handball and provides a conceptual framework for the specific physical preparation of players. According to our results, there are only few studies on on-court performance and time-motion analysis for women's team handball players, especially concerning acceleration profiles. More studies are needed to examine the effectiveness of different training programs of women's team handball players' physiological and physical attributes.

Plant Physiology and Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taiz, Lincoln; Zeiger, Eduardo; Møller, Ian Max

Throughout its twenty-two year history, the authors of Plant Physiology have continually updated the book to incorporate the latest advances in plant biology and implement pedagogical improvements requested by adopters. This has made Plant Physiology the most authoritative, comprehensive......, and widely used upper-division plant biology textbook. In the Sixth Edition, the Growth and Development section (Unit III) has been reorganized and expanded to present the complete life cycle of seed plants from germination to senescence. In recognition of this enhancement, the text has been renamed Plant...... Physiology and Development. As before, Unit III begins with updated chapters on Cell Walls and Signals and Signal Transduction. The latter chapter has been expanded to include a discussion of major signaling molecules, such as calcium ions and plant hormones. A new, unified chapter entitled Signals from...

Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allisse Maxime

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of morphological, physiological and skating performance profiles of elite age-group ice hockey players based on repeated measures spread over one season. In addition, the results of fitness tests and training programs performed in off-ice conditions and their relationship with skating performance were analyzed. Eighteen high level age-group ice hockey players (13.1 ± 0.6 years were assessed off and on-ice at the beginning and at the end of the hockey season. A third evaluation was also conducted at the beginning of the following hockey season. The players were taller, heavier, and showed bone breadths and muscle girths above the reference population of the same age. Muscular variables improved significantly during and between the two hockey seasons (p < 0.05. However, maximal aerobic power improved only during the off-season. All skating performance tests exhibited significant enhancements during the hockey season, but not during the off-season where some degradation was observed. Finally, weak observed variances (generally <20% of the explained variance between physiological variables measured off-ice and on-ice skating performance tests indicated important gaps, both in the choice of the off-ice assessment tools as well as in training methods conventionally used. The reflection on the best way to assess and train hockey players certainly deserves to be continued.

Sixth workshop on seedling physiology and growth problems in oak plantings (abstracts); 1995 September 18-20; Tomahawk, WI.

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald M. Teclaw

1996-01-01

Research results and ongoing research activities in field performance of planted trees, seedling propagation, physiology, genetics, acorn germination ,and natural regeneration for oaks are described in 29 abstracts.

Eighth workshop on seedling physiology and growth problems in oak plantings (abstracts). 2001 September 9-12; Hiwassee, GA.

Science.gov (United States)

S. Sung; P.P. Kormanik; W.J. Ostrosina; J.G. Isebrands

2002-01-01

Research results and ongoing research activities in field performance of planted trees, seedling propagation, physiology, genetics, acorn germination, and natural regeneration for oaks are described in 21 abstracts.

Interaction between physiological and subjective states predicts the effect of a judging panel on the postures of cellists in performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoshi eEndo

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This study investigated the effect of a panel of judges on the movements and postures of cellists in performance. 24 expert cellists played a short piece of music, to a metronome beat, in the presence and absence of the panel. Kinematic analyses showed that in the presence of the panel the temporal execution of left arm shifting movements became less variable and closer to the metronome beat. In contrast, the panel's presence had no reliable effect on their spatial accuracy. A detailed postural analysis indicated that left elbow angle during execution of a given high note was correlated with level of heart rate, though the nature of this correlation was systematically affected by the relevant participant's subjective state: if anxious, a higher heart rate correlated with a more flexed elbow, if not anxious then with a more extended elbow. Our results suggest a change in physiological state alone does not reliably predict a change in behaviour in performing cellists, which instead depends on the interaction between physiological state and subjective experience of anxiety. This highlights a need to distinguish performance anxiety from physiological arousal, to which end we advocate currency for the specific term performance arousal to describe heightened physiological activity in a performer.

Effects of Antibiotics on the Growth and Physiology of Chlorophytes, Cyanobacteria, and a Diatom.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jiahua; Selby, Katherine; Boxall, Alistair B A

2016-11-01

The occurrence of antibiotics in surface waters has been reported worldwide with concentrations ranging from ng L -1 to low µg L -1 levels. During environmental risk assessments, effects of antibiotics on algal species are assessed using standard test protocols (e.g., the OECD 201 guideline), where the cell number endpoint is used as a surrogate for growth. However, the use of photosynthetic related endpoints, such as oxygen evolution rate, and the assessment of effects on algal pigments could help to inform our understanding of the impacts of antibiotics on algal species. This study explored the effects of three major usage antibiotics (tylosin, lincomycin, and trimethoprim) on the growth and physiology of two chlorophytes (Desmodesmus subspicatus and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata), a cyanobacteria (Anabaena flos-aquae), and a diatom (Navicula pelliculosa) using a battery of parameters, including cell density, oxygen evolution rate, total chlorophyll content, carotenoids, and the irradiance-photosynthesis relationship. The results indicated that photosynthesis of chlorophytes was a more sensitive endpoint than growth (i.e., EC 50 derived based on the effects of tylosin on the growth of D. subspicatus was 38.27 µmol L -1 compared with an EC 50 of 17.6 µmol L -1 based on photosynthetic rate), but the situation was reversed when testing cyanobacteria and the diatom (i.e., EC 50 derived based on the effects of tylosin on the growth of A. flos-aquae was 0.06 µmol L -1 ; EC 50 0.33 µmol L -1 based on photosynthetic rate). The pigment contents of algal cells were affected by the three antibiotics for D. subspicatus. However, in some cases, pigment content was stimulated for P. subcapitata, N. pelliculosa, and A. flos-aquae. The light utilization efficiency of chlorophytes and diatom was decreased markedly in the presence of antibiotics. The results demonstrated that the integration of these additional endpoints into existing standardised protocols could provide

Nickel accumulation and its effect on growth, physiological and biochemical parameters in millets and oats.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Vibha; Jatav, Pradeep Kumar; Verma, Raini; Kothari, Shanker Lal; Kachhwaha, Sumita

2017-10-01

With the boom in industrialization, there is an increase in the level of heavy metals in the soil which drastically affect the growth and development of plants. Nickel is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, but elevated level of Ni causes stunted growth, chlorosis, nutrient imbalance, and alterations in the defense mechanism of plants in terms of accumulation of osmolytes or change in enzyme activities like guiacol peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Ni-induced toxic response was studied in seedlings of finger millet, pearl millet, and oats in terms of seedling growth, lipid peroxidation, total chlorophyll, proline content, and enzymatic activities. On the basis of germination and growth parameters of the seedling, finger millet was found to be the most tolerant. Nickel accumulation was markedly lower in the shoots as compared to the roots, which was the highest in finger millet and the lowest in shoots of oats. Plants treated with a high concentration of Ni showed significant reduction in chlorophyll and increase in proline content. Considerable difference in level of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and activity of antioxidative enzymes indicates generation of redox imbalance in plants due to Ni-induced stress. Elevated activities of POD and SOD were observed with high concentrations of Ni while CAT activity was found to be reduced. It was observed that finger millet has higher capability to maintain homeostasis by keeping the balance between accumulation and ROS scavenging system than pearl millet and oats. The data provide insight into the physiological and biochemical changes in plants adapted to survive in Ni-rich environment. This study will help in selecting the more suitable crop species to be grown on Ni-rich soils.

The influence of antioxidants 'TIOFAN' and 'FANTOX 11-1' on physiological growth of broilers in conditions of intoxication with lead and cadmium salts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koval, Yu.I.; Bokova, T.I.; Kandalintseva, N.V.

2008-01-01

The purpose of research is to study the influence of antioxidants 'TIOFAN' and 'FANTOX 11-1' on physiological growth of broilers in conditions of intoxication with lead and cadmium salts. The growth and development of bird in conditions of intoxication with heavy metals and by using of antioxidants as detoxicant is studied. The biochemical blood values on application of antioxidants and without them in conditions of intoxication are determined. The most effective preparation raising of birds productivity and it's optimal concentration is established.

Fertility, hatchability and growth performance of native and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fertility and hatchability serve as measures of genetic and reproductive fitness of individual bird. These two along with growth performance are important yardsticks in evaluating the economic efficiency of parent stocks. There is no previous study on the evaluation of Goliath and Sussex chickens for hatchability, growth and ...

Azolla pinnata growth performance in different water sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordiah, B; Harah, Z Muta; Sidik, B Japar; Hazma, W N Wan

2012-07-01

Azolla pinnata R.Br. growth performance experiments in different water sources were conducted from May until July 2011 at Aquaculture Research Station, Puchong, Malaysia. Four types of water sources (waste water, drain water, paddy field water and distilled water) each with different nutrient contents were used to grow and evaluate the growth performance of A. pinnata. Four water sources with different nutrient contents; waste, drain, paddy and distilled water as control were used to evaluate the growth performance of A. pinnata. Generally, irrespective of the types of water sources there were increased in plant biomass from the initial biomass (e.g., after the first week; lowest 25.2% in distilled water to highest 133.3% in drain water) and the corresponding daily growth rate (3.61% in distilled water to 19.04% in drain water). The increased in biomass although fluctuated with time was consistently higher in drain water compared to increased in biomass for other water sources. Of the four water sources, drain water with relatively higher nitrate concentration (0.035 +/- 0.003 mg L(-l)) and nitrite (0.044 +/- 0.005 mg L(-1)) and with the available phosphate (0.032 +/- 0.006 mg L(-1)) initially provided the most favourable conditions for Azolla growth and propagation. Based on BVSTEP analysis (PRIMER v5), the results indicated that a combination of more than one nutrient or multiple nutrient contents explained the observed increased in biomass of A. pinnata grown in the different water sources.

Plant growth enhancement and associated physiological responses are coregulated by ethylene and gibberellin in response to harpin protein Hpa1.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiaojie; Han, Bing; Xu, Manyu; Han, Liping; Zhao, Yanying; Liu, Zhilan; Dong, Hansong; Zhang, Chunling

2014-04-01

The harpin protein Hpa1 produced by the bacterial blight pathogen of rice induces several growth-promoting responses in plants, activating the ethylene signaling pathway, increasing photosynthesis rates and EXPANSIN (EXP) gene expression levels, and thereby enhancing the vegetative growth. This study was attempted to analyze any mechanistic connections among the above and the role of gibberellin in these responses. Hpa1-induced growth enhancement was evaluated in Arabidopsis, tomato, and rice. And growth-promoting responses were determined mainly as an increase of chlorophyll a/b ratio, which indicates a potential elevation of photosynthesis rates, and enhancements of photosynthesis and EXP expression in the three plant species. In Arabidopsis, Hpa1-induced growth-promoting responses were partially compromised by a defect in ethylene perception or gibberellin biosynthesis. In tomato and rice, compromises of Hpa1-induced growth-promoting responses were caused by a pharmacological treatment with an ethylene perception inhibitor or a gibberellin biosynthesis inhibitor. In the three plant species, moreover, Hpa1-induced growth-promoting responses were significantly impaired, but not totally eliminated, by abolishing ethylene perception or gibberellin synthesis. However, simultaneous nullifications in both ethylene perception and gibberellin biosynthesis almost canceled the full effects of Hpa1 on plant growth, photosynthesis, and EXP2 expression. Theses results suggest that ethylene and gibberellin coregulate Hpa1-induced plant growth enhancement and associated physiological and molecular responses.

Physiological characterization of common fungi associated with cheese

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haasum, Iben; Nielsen, Per Væggemose

1998-01-01

A multivariate statistical method (PLS) was used for a physiological characterization of fungi associated with the cheese environment. The combined effects of pH, salt content, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels on growth and sporulation were studied. Significant factors affecting growth were salt...... may aid in eliminating unwanted fungal growth during cheese production....

Application of the Copenhagen Soccer Test in high-level women players - locomotor activities, physiological response and sprint performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendiksen, Mads; Pettersen, Svein Arne; Ingebrigtsen, Jørgen

2013-01-01

We evaluated the physiological response, sprint performance and technical ability in various phases of the Copenhagen Soccer Test for Women (CSTw) and investigated whether the locomotor activities of the CSTw were comparable to competitive match-play (CM). Physiological measurements and physical....../technical assessments were performed during CSTw for eleven Norwegian high-level women soccer players. The activity pattern during CSTw and CM was monitored using the ZXY tracking system. No differences were observed between CSTw and CM with regards to total distance covered (10093±94 and 9674±191m), high intensity...

Physiological justification for using an unconventional method for processing raw material in aquaculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Honcharova

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To study the influence of Spirulina рlatensis, which was previously treated by a non-traditional method, on physiological and biochemical processes in the organism of hydrobionts. To analyze the growth rate of Ukrainian scaly carp and tilapia under the influence of the feeding factor. Methodology. Experimental studies were carried out in the laboratory of biological resources and aquaculture. Following was performed during the experiments: clinical examination of hydrobionts, control of growth rates, survival rate by recording the results in a working journal, physiological studies, analysis of morphological and functional blood indices, which were performed according to generally accepted methods. Findings. It was found that the proposed method of non-traditional processing of feed resource for hydrobionts promoted the activation of metabolic processes, contributed to the improvement of fish development indices. During the process of cultivation of Spirulina рlatensis, the use of plasma-chemically activated water had a positive effect on the dynamics of development. Originality. This article presents for the first time the results of a positive effect of the pretreatment of Spirulina Platensis culture with plasma-chemically activated water for its feeding to hydrobionts. A positive effect of this method of feeding on the functional status of fish organism and the process of adaptation-compensatory mechanisms in ontogenesis has been found. Practical value. The proposed method will provide an opportunity to improve the rate of the development of hydrobionts, physiological and biochemical processes with the maximum utilization of the potential of fish organism at the stages of active growth, and also to reduce the cost of artificial feeds.

Field transcriptome revealed critical developmental and physiological transitions involved in the expression of growth potential in japonica rice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamatsuki Kaori

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant growth depends on synergistic interactions between internal and external signals, and yield potential of crops is a manifestation of how these complex factors interact, particularly at critical stages of development. As an initial step towards developing a systems-level understanding of the biological processes underlying the expression of overall agronomic potential in cereal crops, a high-resolution transcriptome analysis of rice was conducted throughout life cycle of rice grown under natural field conditions. Results A wide range of gene expression profiles based on 48 organs and tissues at various developmental stages identified 731 organ/tissue specific genes as well as 215 growth stage-specific expressed genes universally in leaf blade, leaf sheath, and root. Continuous transcriptome profiling of leaf from transplanting until harvesting further elucidated the growth-stage specificity of gene expression and uncovered two major drastic changes in the leaf transcriptional program. The first major change occurred before the panicle differentiation, accompanied by the expression of RFT1, a putative florigen gene in long day conditions, and the downregulation of the precursors of two microRNAs. This transcriptome change was also associated with physiological alterations including phosphate-homeostasis state as evident from the behavior of several key regulators such as miR399. The second major transcriptome change occurred just after flowering, and based on analysis of sterile mutant lines, we further revealed that the formation of strong sink, i.e., a developing grain, is not the major cause but is rather a promoter of this change. Conclusions Our study provides not only the genetic basis for functional genomics in rice but also new insight into understanding the critical physiological processes involved in flowering and seed development, that could lead to novel strategies for optimizing crop productivity.

Effect of microwave irradiation on germination and seedling growth physiological characteristics of alfalfa seeds after storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Liyu; Zhang Shuqing; Li Jianfeng; Shi Shangli; Huo Pinghui

2012-01-01

In order to study the effect of microwave irradiation on germination and growth physiological characteristics of seeds that stored for years, the irradiated alfalfa seeds that stored at room temperature for 2 years were used to conduct the germination and pot culture tests, and the germination rate, radical elongation, growth height, individual nodule, nitrogenase activity, chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured. On the 15th day of germination, the germination rates of all the treatments are higher than that of the control, which decrease with the elongation of time. On the llst day of germination, the radical length of all the treatments is lower than that of the control. Growth height, individual nodule, fresh weight and dry weight for the 40 s irradiation treatment are higher than that of the control. Nitrogenase activity of all the treatments is lower than that of the control (P < O.05). The chlorophyll content reaches its maximum when being irradiated for 10 s, and the variation for F 0 and F v /F m of all treatments indicates that the light conversion efficiency of the leaves derived from the irradiated alfalfa seeds that stored for 2 a at room temperature is still relatively stressed. (authors)

Hospitals with greater diversities of physiologically complex procedures do not achieve greater surgical growth in a market with stable numbers of such procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Dexter, Franklin; Epstein, Richard H; Lubarsky, David A

2018-05-01

Although having a large diversity of types of procedures has a substantial operational impact on the surgical suites of hospitals, the strategic importance is unknown. In the current study, we used longitudinal data for all hospitals and patient ages in the State of Florida to evaluate whether hospitals with greater diversity of types of physiologically complex major therapeutic procedures (PCMTP) also had greater rates of surgical growth. Observational cohort study. 1479 combinations of hospitals in the State of Florida and fiscal years, 2008-2015. The types of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) procedures studied were PCMT, defined as: a) major therapeutic procedure; b) >7 American Society of Anesthesiologists base units; and c) performed during a hospitalization with a Diagnosis Related Group with a mean length of stay ≥4.0days. The number of procedures of each type of PCMTP commonly performed at each hospital was calculated by taking 1/Herfindahl index (i.e., sum of the squares of the proportions of all procedures of each type of PCMTP). Over the 8 successive years studied, there was no change in the number of PCMTP being performed (Kendall's τ b =-0.014±0.017 [standard error], P=0.44; N=1479 hospital×years). Busier and larger hospitals commonly performed more types of PCMTP, respectively categorized based on performed PCMTP (τ=0.606±0.017, P<0.0001) or hospital beds (τ=0.524±0.017, P<0.0001). There was no association between greater diversity of types of PCMTP commonly performed and greater annual growth in numbers of PCMTP (τ=0.002±0.019, P=0.91; N=1295 hospital×years). Conclusions were the same with multiple sensitivity analyses. Post hoc, it was recognized that hospitals performing a greater diversity of PCMTP were more similar to the aggregate of other hospitals within the same health district (τ=0.550±0.017, P<0.0001). During a period with no overall growth in PCMTP, hospitals with

Application of the Copenhagen Soccer Test in high-level women players - locomotor activities, physiological response and sprint performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bendiksen, Mads; Pettersen, Svein Arne; Ingebrigtsen, Jørgen; Randers, Morten B; Brito, João; Mohr, Magni; Bangsbo, Jens; Krustrup, Peter

2013-12-01

We evaluated the physiological response, sprint performance and technical ability in various phases of the Copenhagen Soccer Test for Women (CSTw) and investigated whether the locomotor activities of the CSTw were comparable to competitive match-play (CM). Physiological measurements and physical/technical assessments were performed during CSTw for eleven Norwegian high-level women soccer players. The activity pattern during CSTw and CM was monitored using the ZXY tracking system. No differences were observed between CSTw and CM with regards to total distance covered (10093±94 and 9674±191m), high intensity running (1278±67 and 1193±115m) or sprinting (422±55 and 372±46m) (p>.05). During CSTw, average HR was 85±2%HRmax with 35±2% playing time >90%HRmax. Blood lactate increased (ptest. Blood glucose was 5.4±0.3mM at rest and remained unaltered during CSTw. Sprint performance (2×20m) decreased (plocomotor activities during CSTw were comparable to that of high-level competitive match-play. The physiological demands of the CSTw were high, with no changes in heart rate, blood lactate or technical performance during the test, but a lowered sprint performance towards the end of the test. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth performance, haematological traits, meat variables, and effects of treadmill and transport stress in veal calves supplied different amounts of iron.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindt, F; Blum, J W

1994-06-01

Effects of serum iron (Fe), haematological variables and on blood lactate levels before and after treadmill exercise or transport to the slaughterhouse, on meat traits, and on growth performance of feeding milk replacer (MR), planned to contain 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 80 mg Fe/kg, were studied in veal calves. If supplied less than 50 mg Fe/kg MR, calves developed hypoferraemia and anaemia, the degree of which was dependent on Fe intake. Serum Fe concentration, saturation of transferrin with Fe and the degree of anaemia in calves fed 20 or 10 mg Fe/kg MR were nearly identical. Serum Fe concentration and haematological traits barely changed in calves fed 50 mg Fe/kg MR during the growth trail, but serum Fe concentration increased when MR contained 80 mg Fe/kg in calves fed 50 or more Fe/kg MR. Growth performance was smaller in calves fed 10 mg Fe/kg MR than in those fed greater amounts of Fe/kg MR. Carcass taxation was inversely related to Fe intake. In conclusion, MR containing only 10 mg Fe/kg caused marked anaemia and reduced growth performance. Feeding MR with only 20 mg Fe/kg is not necessarily sufficient to prevent development of severe anaemia. Feeding MR with 50 mg Fe/kg would seem to be physiologically the most appropriate amount of Fe for veal calves, but was too high for acceptable carcass taxation.

Cadmium effects on growth and physiology of Ulva lactuca

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Markham, J.W.; Kremer, B.P.; Sperling, K.R.

1980-01-01

The chlorophycean Ulva lactuca L. was grown in the laboratory in unialgal culture to sufficient size so that up to 70 discs, 24 mm in diameter, could be punched out of a single plant. Using such discs, U. lactuca was then tested with various concentrations of Cd under continuous-flow conditions. A concentration of 4.5 ppm Cd was lethal to U. lactuca within 6 days. Control discs in unpolluted water increased in diameter at a rate of 8 to 13% day/sup -1/ over a 6-day period. At sublethal concentration of Cd a sharp reduction in growth rate was observed at increasing concentrations up to approximately 0.3 ppm Cd, whereas from 0.3 ppm Cd to the lethal concentrations the reduction of the growth rate was significantly less. Reduction in photosynthetic performance corresponded closely to the recuction in growth rate. At ambient concentrations of 0.8 ppm Cd, the plants concentrated Cd by a factor of approximately 50 in 6 days. Much higher concentration factors were attained in lower ambient concentrations. After removal from Cd-polluted water into flow-through culture in unpolluted water, a subsequent loss of Cd was indicated and the plants recovered rapidly. Plants exposed up to 3 d to 0.7 ppm Cd recovered sufficiently to produce viable gametes 7 days after removal from Cd. Because it has a relatively short life span and apparently loses Cd subsequent to exposure to Cd-polluted water, Ulva lactuca is not recommended as an alga for monitoring in-situ environmental pollution.

Growth, metabolism and physiological response of the sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus Selenka during periods of inactivity

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Rongbin; Zang, Yuanqi; Tian, Xiangli; Dong, Shuanglin

2013-03-01

The growth, metabolism and physiological response of the sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus, were investigated during periods of inactivity. The body weight, oxygen consumption rate (OCR), activities of acidic phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and content of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in the body wall and coelomic fluid of A. japonicus were measured during starvation, experimental aestivation and aestivation. The results showed that the body weight of sea cucumber in the three treatments decreased significantly during the experimental period ( P sea cucumber reduced in starvation and experimental aestivation treatments, but increased gradually in natural aestivation treatment. The activities of ACP and AKP of sea cucumber decreased gradually in all treatments, whereas those of SOD and CAT as well as Hsp70 content decreased in the starvation and experimental aestivation treatments and increased in natural aestivation treatment. The sea cucumber entered a state of aestivation at 24°C. To some extent, the animals in experimental aestivation were different from those in natural aestivation in metabolism and physiological response. These findings suggested that the aestivation mechanism of A. japonicus is complex and may not be attributed to the elevated temperature only.

Integrating physiological and biomechanical drivers of population growth over environmental gradients on coral reefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Madin, Joshua S; Hoogenboom, Mia O; Connolly, Sean R

2012-03-15

Coral reefs exhibit marked spatial and temporal variability, and coral reef organisms exhibit trade-offs in functional traits that influence demographic performance under different combinations of abiotic environmental conditions. In many systems, trait trade-offs are modelled using an energy and/or nutrient allocation framework. However, on coral reefs, differences in biomechanical vulnerability have major demographic implications, and indeed are believed to play an essential role in mediating species coexistence because highly competitive growth forms are vulnerable to physical dislodgment events that occur with high frequency (e.g. annual summer storms). Therefore, an integrated energy allocation and biomechanics framework is required to understand the effect of physical environmental gradients on species' demographic performance. However, on coral reefs, as in most ecosystems, the effects of environmental conditions on organisms are measured in different currencies (e.g. lipid accumulation, survival and number of gametes), and thus the relative contributions of these effects to overall capacity for population growth are not readily apparent. A comprehensive assessment of links between the environment and the organism, including those mediated by biomechanical processes, must convert environmental effects on individual-level performance (e.g. survival, growth and reproduction) into a common currency that is relevant to the capacity to contribute to population growth. We outline such an approach by considering the population-level performance of scleractinian reef corals over a hydrodynamic gradient, with a focus on the integrating the biomechanical determinants of size-dependent coral colony dislodgment as a function of flow, with the effects of flow on photosynthetic energy acquisition and respiration.

Arbuscular mycorrhiza contribution to the growth performance and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

hope&shola

2009-06-12

Jun 12, 2009 ... performance and heavy metal uptake of Helianthus ... growth performance and heavy metals (Cd and Pb) uptake of Helianthus annuus L. from polluted soils. Cadmium sulfate ..... Phytoextraction of Toxic Metals: A review of.

Effects of modified multistage field test on performance and physiological responses in wheelchair basketball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Weissland, Thierry; Faupin, Arnaud; Borel, Benoit; Berthoin, Serge; Leprêtre, Pierre-Marie

2015-01-01

A bioenergetical analysis of manoeuvrability and agility performance for wheelchair players is inexistent. It was aimed at comparing the physiological responses and performance obtained from the octagon multistage field test (MFT) and the modified condition in "8 form" (MFT-8). Sixteen trained wheelchair basketball players performed both tests in randomized condition. The levels performed (end-test score), peak values of oxygen uptake (VO2peak), minute ventilation (VEpeak), heart rate (HRpeak), peak and relative blood lactate (Δ[Lact(-)] = peak--rest values), and the perceived rating exertion (RPE) were measured. MFT-8 induced higher VO2peak and VEpeak values compared to MFT (VO2peak: 2.5 ± 0.6 versus 2.3 ± 0.6 L · min(-1) and VEpeak: 96.3 ± 29.1 versus 86.6 ± 23.4 L · min(-1); P < 0.05) with no difference in other parameters. Significant relations between VEpeak and end-test score were correlated for both field tests (P < 0.05). At exhaustion, MFT attained incompletely VO2peak and VEpeak. Among experienced wheelchair players, MFT-8 had no effect on test performance but generates higher physiological responses than MFT. It could be explained by demands of wheelchair skills occurring in 8 form during the modified condition.

Effects of shoe cleat position on physiology and performance of competitive cyclists.

Science.gov (United States)

Paton, Carl D

2009-12-01

Aerobic economy is an important factor that affects the performance of competitive cyclists. It has been suggested that placing the foot more anteriorly on the bicycle pedals may improve economy over the traditional foot position by improving pedaling efficiency. The current study examines the effects of changing the anterior-posterior pedal foot position on the physiology and performance of well-trained cyclists. In a crossover study, 10 competitive cyclists completed two maximal incremental and two submaximal tests in either their preferred (control) or a forward (arch) foot position. Maximum oxygen consumption and peak power output were determined from the incremental tests for both foot positions. On two further occasions, cyclists also completed a two-part 60-min submaximal test that required them to maintain a constant power output (equivalent to 60% of their incremental peak power) for 30 min, during which respiratory and blood lactate samples were taken at predetermined intervals. Thereafter, subjects completed a 30-min self-paced maximal effort time trial. Relative to the control, the mean changes (+/-90% confidence limits) in the arch condition were as follows: maximum oxygen consumption, -0.5% (+/-2.0%); incremental peak power output, -0.8% (+/-1.3%); steady-state oxygen consumption at 60%, -2.4% (+/-1.1%); steady-state heart rate 60%, 0.4% (+/-1.7%); lactate concentration 60%, 8.7% (+/-14.4%); and mean time trial power, -1.5% (+/-2.9%). We conclude that there was no substantial physiological or performance advantage in this group using an arch-cleat shoe position in comparison with a cyclist's normal preferred condition.

Effects of thermal discomfort in an office on perceived air quality, SBS symptoms, physiological responses and human performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lan, Li; Wargocki, Pawel; Wyon, David Peter

2011-01-01

The effects of thermal discomfort on health and human performance were investigated in an office, in an attempt to elucidate the physiological mechanisms involved. Twelve subjects (six men and six women) performed neurobehavioral tests and tasks typical of office work while thermally neutral (at 22......, and were less willing to exert effort. Task performance decreased when the subjects felt warm. Their heart rate, respiratory ventilation, and end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide increased significantly, and their arterial oxygen saturation decreased. Tear film quality was found to be significantly...... reduced at the higher temperature when they felt warm. No effects were observed on salivary biomarkers (alpha-amylase and cortisol). The present results imply that the negative effects on health and performance that occur when people feel thermally warm at raised temperatures are caused by physiological...

A comparative study of students' performance in preclinical physiology assessed by multiple choice and short essay questions.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyebola, D D; Adewoye, O E; Iyaniwura, J O; Alada, A R; Fasanmade, A A; Raji, Y

2000-01-01

This study was designed to compare the performance of medical students in physiology when assessed by multiple choice questions (MCQs) and short essay questions (SEQs). The study also examined the influence of factors such as age, sex, O/level grades and JAMB scores on performance in the MCQs and SEQs. A structured questionnaire was administered to 264 medical students' four months before the Part I MBBS examination. Apart from personal data of each student, the questionnaire sought information on the JAMB scores and GCE O' Level grades of each student in English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. The physiology syllabus was divided into five parts and the students were administered separate examinations (tests) on each part. Each test consisted of MCQs and SEQs. The performance in MCQs and SEQs were compared. Also, the effects of JAMB scores and GCE O/level grades on the performance in both the MCQs and SEQs were assessed. The results showed that the students performed better in all MCQ tests than in the SEQs. JAMB scores and O' level English Language grade had no significant effect on students' performance in MCQs and SEQs. However O' level grades in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics had significant effects on performance in MCQs and SEQs. Inadequate knowledge of physiology and inability to present information in a logical sequence are believed to be major factors contributing to the poorer performance in the SEQs compared with MCQs. In view of the finding of significant association between performance in MCQs and SEQs and GCE O/level grades in science subjects and mathematics, it was recommended that both JAMB results and the GCE results in the four O/level subjects above may be considered when selecting candidates for admission into the medical schools.

Physiological responses and performance in a simulated trampoline gymnastics competition in elite male gymnasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Peter; Scott, Suzanne; Krustrup, Peter; Mohr, Magni

2013-01-01

Physiological responses and performance were examined during and after a simulated trampoline competition (STC). Fifteen elite trampoline gymnasts participated, of which eight completed two routines (EX1 and EX2) and a competition final (EX3). Trampoline-specific activities were quantified by video-analysis. Countermovement jump (CMJ) and 20 maximal trampoline jump (20-MTJ) performances were assessed. Heart rate (HR) and quadriceps muscle temperature (Tm) were recorded and venous blood was drawn. A total of 252 ± 16 jumps were performed during the STC. CMJ performance declined (P trampoline gymnastic competition includes a high number of repeated explosive and energy demanding jumps, which impairs jump performance during and 24 h post-competition.

Physiological responses of ponderosa pine in western Montana to thinning, prescribed fire and burning season.

Science.gov (United States)

Sala, Anna; Peters, Gregory D; McIntyre, Lorna R; Harrington, Michael G

2005-03-01

Low-elevation ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws.) forests of the northern Rocky Mountains historically experienced frequent low-intensity fires that maintained open uneven-aged stands. A century of fire exclusion has contributed to denser ponderosa pine forests with greater competition for resources, higher tree stress and greater risk of insect attack and stand-destroying fire. Active management intended to restore a semblance of the more sustainable historic stand structure and composition includes selective thinning and prescribed fire. However, little is known about the relative effects of these management practices on the physiological performance of ponderosa pine. We measured soil water and nitrogen availability, physiological performance and wood radial increment of second growth ponderosa pine trees at the Lick Creek Experimental Site in the Bitterroot National Forest, Montana, 8 and 9 years after the application of four treatments: thinning only; thinning followed by prescribed fire in the spring; thinning followed by prescribed fire in the fall; and untreated controls. Volumetric soil water content and resin capsule ammonium did not differ among treatments. Resin capsule nitrate in the control treatment was similar to that in all other treatments, although burned treatments had lower nitrate relative to the thinned-only treatment. Trees of similar size and canopy condition in the three thinned treatments (with and without fire) displayed higher leaf-area-based photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and mid-morning leaf water potential in June and July, and higher wood radial increment relative to trees in control units. Specific leaf area, mass-based leaf nitrogen content and carbon isotope discrimination did not vary among treatments. Our results suggest that, despite minimal differences in soil resource availability, trees in managed units where basal area was reduced had improved gas exchange and growth compared with trees in

Importance of amylases for physiological quality in maize seeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila Aparecida Lopes

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Seed quality is the result of the sum of genetic, physical, physiological and sanitary attributes that affect seed ability to perform vital functions related to germination, vigor, and longevity. The expression of genes associated with physiological quality can be assessed by means of germination and vigor analyses, as well as by transcript and protein analyses. The objective in this work was to review the relevance of amylase group enzymes to the physiological quality of maize seeds. Within this group, α-amylase (1,4-α-D-glucan glucanohydrolase E.C 3.2.1.1 plays an important role in starch hydrolysis, and is responsible for 90% of the amylolytic activity in maize seeds. It is responsible for starch conversion into sugars (e.g., destrin, which is used for embryo growth. β-amylase (1,4-α-D-glucan maltohydrolase E.C 3.2.1.2 catalyzes the release of maltose and dextrins from the non-reducing ends of starch. Research has shown that amylase enzymes are directly linked to physiological quality of maize seeds. Alpha- and beta-amylases are mainly involved in the germination process and seed heterosis, and can also be used as molecular markers associated with seed tolerance for drying.

Performance Agent Groups in the Promotion of Smart Economic Growth

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Krūzmētra Maiga

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Any country is interested in economic growth regardless of its development level in any period; yet an increasingly important role in defining growth is played by the term ‘smart growth’. The EU development strategy until 2020 defines smart growth as a strategic objective. Smart growth does not take place automatically. It is affected both by the condition of the economic, social and natural environments and by subjective factors - the competence of performance agents. The present research distinguished three groups of rural space and regional performance agents: national institutions, local governments and communities of residents of the territories examined by the research. The research summarised the opinions of experts (Latvia n=171; Lithuania n=163 from the south-eastern part of Latvia and the north-eastern part of Lithuania with the purpose of assessing the contribution of the performance agent groups to the promotion of smart economic growth. The research aimed to identify the positive indications of the contribution made by each performance agent group as well as the largest problems affecting the promotion of smart economic growth in each country. Despite the fact that the sample groups were not representative (did not reflect the views of the entire population, the obtained survey data and the results of this analysis provided insight into the performance agents’ action ratings from the bottom-up position and allowed comparing the situations in Latvia and Lithuania. The research has become an urgent task in project No. 5.2.3 “Rural and Regional Development Processes and Opportunities in Latvia in the Context of Knowledge Economy” in National Research Programme 5.2. "Economic Transformation, Smart Growth, Governance and Legal Framework for the State and Society for Sustainable Development - a New Approach to the Creation of a Sustainable Learning Community: EKOSOC-LV”.

The Impact of Heat Exposure and Sleep Restriction on Firefighters' Work Performance and Physiology during Simulated Wildfire Suppression.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Grace E; Aisbett, Brad; Larsen, Brianna; Ridgers, Nicola D; Snow, Rod; Ferguson, Sally A

2017-02-12

This study was designed to examine the effects of ambient heat on firefighters' physical task performance, and physiological and perceptual responses when sleep restricted during simulated wildfire conditions. Thirty firefighters were randomly allocated to the sleep restricted ( n = 17, SR; 19 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) or hot and sleep restricted ( n = 13, HOT + SR; 33 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) condition. Firefighters performed two days of simulated, intermittent, self-paced work circuits comprising six firefighting tasks. Heart rate, and core temperature were measured continuously. After each task, firefighters reported their rating of perceived exertion and thermal sensation. Effort sensation was also reported after each work circuit. Fluids were consumed ad libitum. Urine volume and urine specific gravity were analysed. Sleep was monitored using polysomnography. There were no differences between the SR and HOT + SR groups in firefighters' physiological responses, hydration status, ratings of perceived exertion, motivation, and four of the six firefighting tasks (charged hose advance, rake, hose rolling, static hose hold). Black out hose and lateral repositioning were adversely affected in the HOT + SR group. Working in hot conditions did not appear to consistently impair firefighters work performance, physiology, and perceptual responses. Future research should determine whether such findings remain true when individual tasks are performed over longer durations.

AAS, growth hormone, and insulin abuse: psychological and neuroendocrine effects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael R Graham

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Michael R Graham1, Peter Evans2, Bruce Davies1, Julien S Baker11Health and Exercise Science Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sport and Science, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom; 2Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, Gwent, United KingdomAbstract: The nontherapeutic use of prescription medicines by individuals involved in sport is increasing. Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS are the most widely abused drug. Much of our knowledge of the psychological and physiological effects of human growth hormone (hGH and insulin has been learned from deficiency states. As a consequence of the Internet revolution, previously unobtainable and expensive designer drugs, particularly recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH and insulin, have become freely available at ridiculously discounted prices from countries such as China and are being abused. These drugs have various physiological and psychological effects and medical personnel must become aware that such prescription medicine abuse appears to be used not only for performance and cosmetic reasons, but as a consequence of psychological pre-morbidity.Keywords: AAS, cosmesis, growth hormone, insulin, performance, strength

GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKS FED DIETS ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. A.O. Ani

2012-06-15

Jun 15, 2012 ... ISSN 1684–5315 ©2012 Academic Journals ... Increasing raw bambara nut waste levels also depressed (P < 0.05) nutrient absorption ... Key words: Raw bambara nut waste, enzyme, diets, broiler chicks, growth performance.

Effect of salt stress on growth and physiology in amaranth and lettuce: Implications for bioregenerative life support system

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Lifeng; Guo, Shuangsheng; Ai, Weidang; Tang, Yongkang; Cheng, Quanyong; Chen, Guang

2013-02-01

Growing plants can be used to clean waste water in bioregenerative life support system (BLSS). However, NaCl contained in the human urine always restricts plant growth and further reduces the degree of mass cycle closure of the system (i.e. salt stress). This work determined the effect of NaCl stress on physiological characteristics of plants for the life support system. Amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L. var. Huahong) and leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. Luoma) were cultivated at nutrient solutions with different NaCl contents (0, 1000, 5000 and 10,000 ppm, respectively) for 10 to 18 days after planted in the Controlled Ecological Life Support System Experimental Facility in China. Results showed that the two plants have different responses to the salt stress. The amaranth showed higher salt-tolerance with NaCl stress. If NaCl content in the solution is below 5000 ppm, the salt stress effect is insignificant on above-ground biomass output, leaf photosynthesis rate, Fv/Fm, photosynthesis pigment contents, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and inducing lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, the lettuce is sensitive to NaCl which significantly decreases those indices of growth and physiology. Notably, the lettuce remains high productivity of edible biomass in low NaCl stress, although its salt-tolerant limitation is lower than amaranth. Therefore, we recommended that amaranth could be cultivated under a higher NaCl stress condition (lettuce should be under a lower NaCl stress (<1000 ppm) for water cleaning in future BLSS.

Growth and biochemical composition of Chlorella vulgaris in different growth media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MATHIAS A. CHIA

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The need for clean and low-cost algae production demands for investigations on algal physiological response under different growth conditions. In this research, we investigated the growth, biomass production and biochemical composition of Chlorella vulgaris using semi-continuous cultures employing three growth media (LC Oligo, Chu 10 and WC media. The highest cell density was obtained in LC Oligo, while the lowest in Chu medium. Chlorophyll a, carbohydrate and protein concentrations and yield were highest in Chu and LC Oligo media. Lipid class analysis showed that hydrocarbons (HC, sterol esthers (SE, free fatty acids (FFA, aliphatic alcohols (ALC, acetone mobile polar lipids (AMPL and phospholipids (PL concentrations and yields were highest in the Chu medium. Triglyceride (TAG and sterol (ST concentrations were highest in the LC Oligo medium. The results suggested that for cost effective cultivation, LC Oligo medium is the best choice among those studied, as it saved the cost of buying vitamins and EDTA associated with the other growth media, while at the same time resulted in the best growth performance and biomass production.

Possible physiological role of milk epidermal growth factor in neonatal eyelid opening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsutsumi, O.; Tsutsumi, A.; Oka, T.

1987-01-01

The eyelid opening of newborn mice occurs normally on day 13.9 +/- 1.8 after birth. When newborn mice were injected with anti-epidermal growth factor (EGF) antibody every other day starting on day 1 after birth, the eyelid opening was delayed by ∼ 3 days. The effect of anti-EGF became less prominent as the treatment was started at later times: when it was give from day 7, no delay in eyelid opening was observed. On the other hand, eyelid opening was enhanced by ∼ 3 days by EGF injection given on day 3 for every other day. This effect of EGF was antagonized by simultaneous administration of anti-EGF antibody. EGF was present at a concentration of 6.6 ng/ml in the plasma of 1-wk-old pups nursed by their mother, but it was not detectable in the plasma of 3-wk-old weaned pups. EGF concentration in the submandibular glands, however, was 17 times greater in 3- than in 1-wk-old pups. EGF was measured by radioimmunoassay. These results suggest that milk EGF may play a physiological role in eyelid opening during the neonatal period

Growth and Biochemical performance of Cassava-Manihot ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MICHAEL HORSFALL

the crude oil polluted soil improved the growth and biochemical performance of cassava. For the qualitative .... delay in the rate of soil recovery and a decrease in crop yield ... enhances biodegradation of polluted soil presumably by removing ...

Genotypic variation in growth and physiological response to drought stress and re-watering reveals the critical role of recovery in drought adaptation in maize seedlings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daoqian eChen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Non-irrigated crops in temperate climates and irrigated crops in arid climates are subjected to continuous cycles of water stress and re-watering. Thus, fast and efficient recovery from water stress may be among the key determinants of plant drought adaptation. The present study was designed to comparatively analyze the roles of drought resistance and drought recovery in drought adaptation and to investigate the physiological basis of genotypic variation in drought adaptation in maize (Zea mays seedlings. As the seedlings behavior in growth associate with yield under drought, it could partly reflect the potential of drought adaptability. Growth and physiological responses to progressive drought stress and recovery were observed in seedlings of ten maize lines. The results showed that drought adaptability is closely related to drought recovery (r = 0.714**, but not to drought resistance (r = 0.332. Drought induced decreases in leaf water content, water potential, osmotic potential, gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm and nitrogen content, and increased H2O2 accumulation and lipid peroxidation. After recovery, most of these physiological parameters rapidly returned to normal levels. The physiological responses varied between lines. Further correlation analysis indicated that the physiological bases of drought resistance and drought recovery are definitely different, and that maintaining higher chlorophyll content (r = 0.874*** and Fv/Fm (r = 0.626* under drought stress contributes to drought recovery. Our results suggest that both drought resistance and recovery are key determinants of plant drought adaptation, and that drought recovery may play a more important role than previously thought. In addition, leaf water potential, chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm could be used as efficient reference indicators in the selection of drought-adaptive genotypes.

Morpho-physiological characterization of Indian wheat genotypes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-05-14

May 14, 2014 ... Key words: Wheat, morphological parameters, physiological growth attributes, proline. INTRODUCTION ... few years, climatic conditions have been drastically changed and ..... Poster presented in the XXVIIIth Meeting of the.

Zinc: physiology, deficiency, and parenteral nutrition.

Science.gov (United States)

Livingstone, Callum

2015-06-01

The essential trace element zinc (Zn) has a large number of physiologic roles, in particular being required for growth and functioning of the immune system. Adaptive mechanisms enable the body to maintain normal total body Zn status over a wide range of intakes, but deficiency can occur because of reduced absorption or increased gastrointestinal losses. Deficiency impairs physiologic processes, leading to clinical consequences that include failure to thrive, skin rash, and impaired wound healing. Mild deficiency that is not clinically overt may still cause nonspecific consequences, such as susceptibility to infection and poor growth. The plasma Zn concentration has poor sensitivity and specificity as a test of deficiency. Consequently, diagnosis of deficiency requires a combination of clinical assessment and biochemical tests. Patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) are susceptible to Zn deficiency and its consequences. Nutrition support teams should have a strategy for assessing Zn status and optimizing this by appropriate supplementation. Nutrition guidelines recommend generous Zn provision from the start of PN. This review covers the physiology of Zn, the consequences of its deficiency, and the assessment of its status, before discussing its role in PN. © 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Problem-based writing with peer review improves academic performance in physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelaez, Nancy J

2002-12-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether problem-based writing with peer review (PW-PR) improves undergraduate student performance on physiology exams. Didactic lectures were replaced with assignments to give students practice explaining their reasoning while solving qualitative problems, thus transferring the responsibility for abstraction and generalization to the students. Performance on exam items about concepts taught using PW-PR was compared with performance on concepts taught using didactic lectures followed by group work. Calibrated Peer Review, a Web-delivered program, was used to collect student essays and to manage anonymous peer review after students "passed" three calibration peer reviews. Results show that the students had difficulty relating concepts. Relationship errors were categorized as (1) problems recognizing levels of organization, (2) problems with cause/effect, and (3) overgeneralizations. For example, some described cells as molecules; others thought that vesicles transport materials through the extracellular fluid. With PW-PR, class discussion was used to confront and resolve such difficulties. Both multiple-choice and essay exam results were better with PW-PR instead of lecture.

Thermal comfort, physiological responses and performance of elderly during exposure to a moderate temperature drift

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schellen, L.; Marken Lichtenbelt, van W.D.; Loomans, M.G.L.C.; Frijns, A.J.H.; Toftum, J.; Wit, de M.H.

2009-01-01

The objective of this research was to study the effects of ageing and a moderate temperature drift on human thermal comfort, physiological responses and performance. A climate room set-up with experimental subjects in the age 67-73 was used to examine the effect of a moderate temperature ramp. Eight

Growth temperature exerts differential physiological and transcriptional responses in laboratory and wine strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pizarra, Francisco J.; Jewett, Michael Christopher; Nielsen, Jens

2008-01-01

Laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been widely used as a model for studying eukaryotic cells and mapping the molecular mechanisms of many different human diseases. Industrial wine yeasts, on the other hand, have been selected on the basis of their adaptation to stringent environm......Laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been widely used as a model for studying eukaryotic cells and mapping the molecular mechanisms of many different human diseases. Industrial wine yeasts, on the other hand, have been selected on the basis of their adaptation to stringent...... environmental conditions and the organoleptic properties that they confer to wine. Here, we used a two-factor design to study the responses of a standard laboratory strain, CEN.PK113-7D, and an industrial wine yeast strain, EC1118, to growth temperatures of 15 degrees C and 30 degrees C in nitrogen......-limited, anaerobic, steady-state chemostat cultures. Physiological characterization revealed that the growth temperature strongly impacted the biomass yield of both strains. Moreover, we found that the wine yeast was better adapted to mobilizing resources for biomass production and that the laboratory yeast...

Growth Performance and Hematological Traits of Weaner Pigs Fed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BSN

http://www.ajol.info/index.php/njb/index and ... for their growth and haematological parameters when fed graded levels of raw ... significant (P<0.05) differences among treatments in feed intake, weight gain, ... Keywords: Growth Performance, Bambara nut wastes, Weaner Pigs and ... waste used in the feeding of pigs (Okeke,.

Evaluation of the Physiological Challenges in Extreme Environments: Implications for Enhanced Training, Operational Performance and Sex-Specific Responses

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Operational Performance and Sex -Specific Responses PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Brent C. Ruby CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: The University of Montana Missoula...Implications for Enhanced Training, Operational Performance and Sex -Specific Responses 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...Evaluation of the physiological challenges in extreme environments: Implications for enhanced training, operational performance and sex -specific

Effects of increasing and decreasing physiological arousal on anticipation timing performance during competition and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Michael J; Smith, Mike; Bryant, Elizabeth; Eyre, Emma; Cook, Kathryn; Hankey, Joanne; Tallis, Jason; Clarke, Neil; Jones, Marc V

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate if the effects of changes in physiological arousal on timing performance can be accurately predicted by the catastrophe model. Eighteen young adults (8 males, 10 females) volunteered to participate in the study following ethical approval. After familiarisation, coincidence anticipation was measured using the Bassin Anticipation Timer under four incremental exercise conditions: Increasing exercise intensity and low cognitive anxiety, increasing exercise intensity and high cognitive anxiety, decreasing exercise intensity and low cognitive anxiety and decreasing exercise intensity and high cognitive anxiety. Incremental exercise was performed on a treadmill at intensities of 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% heart rate reserve (HRR) respectively. Ratings of cognitive anxiety were taken at each intensity using the Mental Readiness Form 3 (MRF3) followed by performance of coincidence anticipation trials at speeds of 3 and 8 mph. Results indicated significant condition × intensity interactions for absolute error (AE; p = .0001) and MRF cognitive anxiety intensity scores (p = .05). Post hoc analysis indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in AE across exercise intensities in low-cognitive anxiety conditions. In high-cognitive anxiety conditions, timing performance AE was significantly poorer and cognitive anxiety higher at 90% HRR, compared to the other exercise intensities. There was no difference in timing responses at 90% HRR during competitive trials, irrespective of whether exercise intensity was increasing or decreasing. This study suggests that anticipation timing performance is negatively affected when physiological arousal and cognitive anxiety are high.

Intelligent Growth Automaton of Virtual Plant Based on Physiological Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Qingsheng; Guo, Mingwei; Qu, Hongchun; Deng, Qingqing

In this paper, a novel intelligent growth automaton of virtual plant is proposed. Initially, this intelligent growth automaton analyzes the branching pattern which is controlled by genes and then builds plant; moreover, it stores the information of plant growth, provides the interface between virtual plant and environment, and controls the growth and development of plant on the basis of environment and the function of plant organs. This intelligent growth automaton can simulate that the plant growth is controlled by genetic information system, and the information of environment and the function of plant organs. The experimental results show that the intelligent growth automaton can simulate the growth of plant conveniently and vividly.

Seventh workshop on seedling physiology and growth problems in oak plantings (abstracts); 1998 September 27-29; South Lake Tahoe, CA.

Science.gov (United States)

D.D. McCreary; J.G. Isebrands

1999-01-01

Research results and ongoing research activities in field performance of planted trees, seedling propagation, physiology, genetics, acorn germination, and natural regeneration for oaks are described in 17 abstracts.

Physical attributes, physiological characteristics, on-court performances and nutritional strategies of female and male basketball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziv, Gal; Lidor, Ronnie

2009-01-01

This article reviews a series of studies (n = 51) examining physical attributes, physiological characteristics, on-court performances and nutritional strategies of female and male elite basketball players. These studies included relevant information on physical and physiological variables, such as height, weight, somatotype, relative size, aerobic profile, strength, anaerobic power, agility and speed. Six main findings emerged from our review: (i) differences in physical attributes exist among playing positions and skill levels (e.g. guards tend to be lighter, shorter and more mesomorphic than centres); (ii) maximum aerobic capacity (VO(2max)) values of female and male players are 44.0-54.0 and 50-60 mLO(2)/kg/min, respectively; (iii) male and female players of higher skill levels tend to have higher vertical jump values; (iv) the more skilled female and male players are faster and more agile than the less skilled players; (v) guards tend to perform more high-intensity movements during game play compared with forwards and centres; and (vi) a water deficit of 2% of bodyweight can lead to reduced physical and mental performance during an actual game. Five limitations associated with the testing protocols used in the studies are outlined, among them the lack of a longitudinal approach, lack of tests performed under physical exertion conditions, and lack of studies using a time-motion analysis. In addition, three practical recommendations for the basketball coach and the strength and conditioning coach are presented. It is concluded that the data emerging from these studies, combined with the knowledge already obtained from the studies on physical and physiological characteristics of elite basketball players, should be applied by basketball and strength and conditioning coaches when planning training programmes for elite basketball players.

Root bacterial endophytes alter plant phenotype, but not physiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henning, Jeremiah A.; Weston, David J.; Pelletier, Dale A.

2016-01-01

(root:shoot, biomass production, root and leaf growth rates) and physiological traits (chlorophyll content, net photosynthesis, net photosynthesis at saturating light-Asat, and saturating CO2-Amax). Overall, we found that bacterial root endophyte infection increased root growth rate up to 184% and leaf...... growth rate up to 137% relative to non-inoculated control plants, evidence that plants respond to bacteria by modifying morphology. However, endophyte inoculation had no influence on total plant biomass and photosynthetic traits (net photosynthesis, chlorophyll content). In sum, bacterial inoculation did......Plant traits, such as root and leaf area, influence how plants interact with their environment and the diverse microbiota living within plants can influence plant morphology and physiology. Here, we explored how three bacterial strains isolated from the Populus root microbiome, influenced plant...

Regulatory Physiology

Science.gov (United States)

Lane, Helen W.; Whitson, Peggy A.; Putcha, Lakshmi; Baker, Ellen; Smith, Scott M.; Stewart, Karen; Gretebeck, Randall; Nimmagudda, R. R.; Schoeller, Dale A.; Davis-Street, Janis

1999-01-01

As noted elsewhere in this report, a central goal of the Extended Duration Orbiter Medical Project (EDOMP) was to ensure that cardiovascular and muscle function were adequate to perform an emergency egress after 16 days of spaceflight. The goals of the Regulatory Physiology component of the EDOMP were to identify and subsequently ameliorate those biochemical and nutritional factors that deplete physiological reserves or increase risk for disease, and to facilitate the development of effective muscle, exercise, and cardiovascular countermeasures. The component investigations designed to meet these goals focused on biochemical and physiological aspects of nutrition and metabolism, the risk of renal (kidney) stone formation, gastrointestinal function, and sleep in space. Investigations involved both ground-based protocols to validate proposed methods and flight studies to test those methods. Two hardware tests were also completed.

Synergistic effects of dietary nano selenium and vitamin C on growth, feeding, and physiological parameters of mahseer fish (Tor putitora

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kifayat Ullah Khan

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The current study was conducted to determine the synergistic effects of dietary nano selenium (Nano Se and vitamin C on growth, feeding, and physiological parameters of juvenile mahseer, Tor putitora. L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (APP was used as a source of vitamin C. Four semi-purified experimental diets were prepared. A basal diet kept without the supplementation of any micronutrient and the other three diets were formulated such that three different levels of APP (100, 200, and 300 mg kg−1 were used in combination with a pre-determined dose of Nano Se (0.68 mg kg−1. The results showed that both the micronutrients positively synergized the effects of each other. APP at the rate of 300 mg kg−1 showed strong interaction with Nano Se. The APP300 + Nano Se0.68 mg kg−1 diet supplemented diet significantly decreased (P< 0.05 the feed conversion ratio (FCR while significantly increased (P< 0.05 the weight gain percentage (WG%, feed conversion efficiency (FCE%, specific growth rate (SGR, and serum growth hormone (GH concentration. Similarly, the physiological parameters such as red blood cells count (RBCs, hemoglobin level (Hb, hematocrit value (Hct, and serum lysozyme activity were also significantly increased in group of fish fed diet supplemented with APP100 mg kg−1 in combination with Nano Se0.68 mg kg−1 as compared to the control group. The present results clearly indicated the beneficent synergistic effects of Nano Se and APP in mahseer fish. Moreover, the current finding also supported our hypothesis that Nano Se and APP potentiate positively the effect of each other when both the micronutrients are supplemented together in the same fish feed.

Executive functioning performance predicts subjective and physiological acute stress reactivity: preliminary results.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrawan, Donny; Yamakawa, Kaori; Kimura, Motohiro; Murakami, Hiroki; Ohira, Hideki

2012-06-01

Individual differences in baseline executive functioning (EF) capacities have been shown to predict state anxiety during acute stressor exposure. However, no previous studies have clearly demonstrated the relationship between EF and physiological measures of stress. The present study investigated the efficacy of several well-known EF tests (letter fluency, Stroop test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test) in predicting both subjective and physiological stress reactivity during acute psychosocial stress exposure. Our results show that letter fluency served as the best predictor for both types of reactivity. Specifically, the higher the letter fluency score, the lower the acute stress reactivity after controlling for the baseline stress response, as indicated by lower levels of state anxiety, negative mood, salivary cortisol, and skin conductance. Moreover, the predictive power of the letter fluency test remained significant for state anxiety and cortisol indices even after further adjustments for covariates by adding the body mass index (BMI) as a covariate. Thus, good EF performance, as reflected by high letter fluency scores, may dampen acute stress responses, which suggests that EF processes are directly associated with aspects of stress regulation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Oligo-Alginate with Low Molecular Mass Improves Growth and Physiological Activity of Eucomis autumnalis under Salinity Stress

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Piotr Salachna

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Biopolymers have become increasingly popular as biostimulators of plant growth. One of them, oligo-alginate, is a molecule that regulates plant biological processes and may be used in horticultural practice as a plant growth regulator. Biostimulators are mainly used to improve plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, including salinity. The aim of the study was to assess the effects of salinity and oligo-alginate of various molecular masses on the growth and physiological activity of Eucomis autumnalis. The species is an ornamental and medicinal plant that has been used for a long time in the traditional medicine of South Africa. The bulbs of E. autumnalis were coated using depolymerized sodium alginate of molecular mass 32,000; 42,000, and 64,000 g mol−1. All of these oligo-alginates fractions stimulated plant growth, and the effect was the strongest for the fraction of 32,000 g mol−1. This fraction was then selected for the second stage of the study, when plants were exposed to salt stress evoked by the presence of 100 mM NaCl. We found that the oligo-alginate coating mitigated the negative effects of salinity. Plants treated with the oligomer and watered with NaCl showed smaller reduction in the weight of the above-ground parts and bulbs, pigment content and antioxidant activity as compared with those not treated with the oligo-alginate. The study demonstrated for the first time that low molecular mass oligo-alginate may be used as plant biostimulator that limits negative effects of salinity in E. autumnalis.

Morpho-Physiological Responses of Maize to Drought Stress at Different Growth Stages in Northern Semi-Arid Region of Fars

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Hemati

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate morpho-physiological responses of hybrid corn KSC750 to water stress at various stages of growth, a field experiment was conducted at the Pasargad region (northwest Fars in 2010. The experiment carried out as a randomized complete block design, with 3 replications. In this study, corn growth period was divided into three phases: the establishment of plant to tasseling (phase I, tasseling to dough development (phase II and dough development to ripening (phase III. Treatments were consisted of control, irrigation cut off after dough development, water stress of 75 percent of FC during vegetative phase and after dough development, water stress of 75 percent of FC during whole growth phase, water stress of 50 percent of FC during vegetative stage and after dough development and water stress of 50 percent of FC during whole growth phase. Results showed that mild drought stress (75% FC at vegetative phase was not significantly effected growth and yield of corn. However, application of drought stress during the whole growth period significantly reduced morphological parameters as well as yield and yield components. Based on these results, flowering and grain filling stages were identified as more sensitive stages to drought stress in corn. Moreover, irrigation cut off after dough development terminated to a satisfactory yield. The results indicated that, overall, under Pasargad region and similar agro climatic conditions, it would be possible to save water to 75 percentage of corn water requirement through application of deficit irrigation after dough development stage.

Physiological and proteomic analysis of plant growth enhancement by the rhizobacteria Bacillus sp. JS.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ji Seong; Lee, Jeong Eun; Nie, Hualin; Lee, Yong Jae; Kim, Sun Tae; Kim, Sun-Hyung

2018-02-01

In this study, the effects of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR), Bacillus sp. JS on the growth of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum 'Xanthi') and lettuce (Lactuca sativa 'Crispa'), were evaluated by comparing various growth parameters between plants treated with the bacterium and those exposed to water or nutrient broth as control. In both tobacco and lettuce, fresh weight and length of shoots were increased upon exposure to Bacillus sp. JS. To explain the overall de novo expression of plant proteins by bacterial volatiles, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was performed on samples from PGPR-treated tobacco plants. Our results showed that chlorophyll a/b binding proteins were significantly up-regulated, and total chlorophyll content was also increased. Our findings indicate the potential benefits of using Bacillus sp. JS as a growth-promoting factor in agricultural practice, and highlight the need for further research to explore these benefits.

Physiological analysis for enhancing radiation use efficiency (RUE) in rice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punzalan, B.; Calibo, S.; Jagadish, S.V.K.

2012-01-01

Global dimming, or the decrease in global irradiance has been observed in the last 50 years at a rate of 2.7% per decade. Potential consequences of reduced solar radiation include a decline in total biomass production and productivity. Systematic studies involving rice and its ability to utilize available radiation efficiently under tropical conditions are limited. The study was conducted at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, during the wet season of 2011 to physiologically analyze enhanced radiation use efficiency (RUE) under natural field conditions with limited sunlight. Five varieties were selected from previous seasons' experiments involving 48 different entries. Among the five entries, two with low yield under low solar radiation were selected to serve as checks. Growth analysis for estimating total biomass production and partitioning was done at key growth stages i.e. mid-tillering, panicle initiation, flowering, 15 days after flowering (15 DAF), and physiological maturity, coupled with analysis of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). Yield and yield components were recorded at maturity. Results show that poor-performing varieties IR40 and IR54 had significantly more panicles than the other three varieties at flowering, indicating a higher sink to source ratio. NSIC RC 222 had the highest RUE of 1.33, while a 22% reduction in RUE was observed among the poor-performing varieties, which also had the lowest leaf area index (LAI) at 15 DAF. Data on thousand-grain weight revealed that IR40 and IR54 had smaller grain size. In conclusion, the authors hypothesize that either insufficient production or inefficient translocation of NSC might be causing the reduced grain size in poor-performing varieties

Procedures of Exercise Physiology Laboratories

Science.gov (United States)

Bishop, Phillip A.; Fortney, Suzanne; Greenisen, Michael; Siconolfi, Steven F.; Bamman, Marcas M.; Moore, Alan D., Jr.; Squires, William

1998-01-01

This manual describes the laboratory methods used to collect flight crew physiological performance data at the Johnson Space Center. The Exercise Countermeasures Project Laboratory is a standard physiology laboratory; only the application to the study of human physiological adaptations to spaceflight is unique. In the absence of any other recently published laboratory manual, this manual should be a useful document staffs and students of other laboratories.

Physiological integration enhanced the tolerance of Cynodon dactylon to flooding.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Z J; Fan, D Y; Chen, F Q; Yuan, Q Y; Chow, W S; Xie, Z Q

2015-03-01

Many flooding-tolerant species are clonal plants; however, the effects of physiological integration on plant responses to flooding have received limited attention. We hypothesise that flooding can trigger changes in metabolism of carbohydrates and ROS (reactive oxygen species) in clonal plants, and that physiological integration can ameliorate the adverse effects of stress, subsequently restoring the growth of flooded ramets. In the present study, we conducted a factorial experiment combining flooding to apical ramets and stolon severing (preventing physiological integration) between apical and basal ramets of Cynodon dactylon, which is a stoloniferous perennial grass with considerable flooding tolerance. Flooding-induced responses including decreased root biomass, accumulation of soluble sugar and starch, as well as increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in apical ramets. Physiological integration relieved growth inhibition, carbohydrate accumulation and induction of antioxidant enzyme activity in stressed ramets, as expected, without any observable cost in unstressed ramets. We speculate that relief of flooding stress in clonal plants may rely on oxidising power and electron acceptors transferred between ramets through physiological integration. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Growth performance and immunological responses of broiler ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to determine the growth performance and immune response of broiler chickens fed synbiotic and diet acidifier to Newcastle disease vaccinations. One hundred and forty four (144) day old broiler chickens were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments replicated thrice with 12 birds per replicate ...

Growth performance, blood parameters and carcass characteristics ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was carried out with one hundred and twenty (120) day-old marshal chicks to investigate the effect of Maxigrain® enzyme supplementation of corn bran based diets on growth performance, carcass characteristics, haematology and serum biochemistry of broilers in an eight weeks experiment. Four experimental ...

Changes in the physiological activity of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr. under the influence of exogenous growth regulators

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Anna Nowak

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In a two-year pot experiment (2008–2009 conducted at the Vegetation Hall, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, we investigated the influence of exogenous growth regulators, i.e. indole-3-butyric acid (IBA and 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP and their mixture, on the activity of gas exchange and selected physiological features of soybeans (Glycine max L. Merr.. The experimental factors included the following Polish soybean cultivars: ‘Aldana’, ‘Progres’ and ‘Jutro’. During plant growth, CO2 assimilation (A, transpiration rate (E, stomatal conductance (gs, and substomatal CO2 concentration (ci were determined. Two soybean cultivars, i.e. ‘Jutro’ and ‘Progres’, showed a significant increase in the intensity of assimilation and transpiration after using all kinds of growth regulators as compared with the control plants. It was found that the ‘Jutro’ cultivar, after using a mixture of growth regulators (IBA + BAP, was characterized by the significantly highest CO2 assimilation (A and transpiration (E as well as the highest stomatal conductance (gs. The ‘Aldana’ cultivar, on the other hand, responded by a significant reduction in the transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and subsomatal CO2 concentration. The spraying of the plants with exogenous growth regulators had a significant influence on the increase in the number of stomata and stomatal pore length, mostly on the lower epidermis of the lamina. It was also found that plants from the ‘Jutro’ and ‘Aldana’ cultivars sprayed with IBA and IBA + BAP were characterized by the highest yield, as compared with the control plants. In the case of the ‘Jutro’ cultivar, after using the growth regulators, a positive correlation was observed between the assimilation and transpiration rates and the length of stomata, which in consequence produced increased yields.

Response of morphological and physiological growth attributes to foliar application of plant growth regulators in gladiolus 'white prosperity'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajjad, Y.; Jaskani, M. J.; Qasim, M.

2014-01-01

Gladiolus is very popular among ornamental bulbous plants mainly used as cut flower and greatly demanded in the world floral market. Production of inferior quality spikes is one of the major hurdles for their export. The research was conducted under Faisalabad conditions to evaluate the use of plant growth regulators in order to improve the vegetative, floral and physiological attributes. Gladiolus plants were sprayed thrice with different concentrations (0.1, 0.4, 0.7 and 1mM) of gibberellic acid, benzylaminopurine and salicylic acid at three leaf stage, five leaf stage and slipping stage. Foliar application of 1mM gibberellic acid increased the plant height (122.14cm), spike length (58.41cm), florets spike-1 (13.49), corm diameter (4.43cm), corm weight (25.34g) and total cormel weight (20.45g) compared to benzylaminopurine and salicylic acid. Gibberellic acid at 1mM concentration also increased the total chlorophyll content to 7.72mg/g, total carotenoids (1.61mg/g), total soluble sugars (3.68mg/g) followed by application of benzylaminopurine. Salicylic acid application at 1mM concentration decreased the number of days to flower (64.93) compared to 76.12 days in non treated plants. (author)

Physiological Responses and Physical Performance during Football in the Heat

Science.gov (United States)

Mohr, Magni; Nybo, Lars; Grantham, Justin; Racinais, Sebastien

2012-01-01

Purpose To examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play. Methods Two experimental games were completed in temperate (∼21°C; CON) and hot ambient conditions (∼43°C; HOT). Physical performance was assessed by match analysis in 17 male elite players during the games and a repeated sprint test was conducted after the two game trials. Core and muscle temperature were measured and blood samples were obtained, before and after the games. Results Muscle and core temperatures were ∼1°C higher (P14 km⋅h−1) by 26% in HOT compared to CON), but peak sprint speed was 4% higher (P24 km⋅h−1) between CON and HOT. In HOT, success rates for passes and crosses were 8 and 9% higher (Pheat (r = 0.85 and r = 0.53, respectively; Pheat, but these changes were not directly related to the absolute or relative changes in core or muscle temperature. However, peak sprinting speed and execution of successful passes and crosses were improved in the HOT condition. PMID:22723963

Flexibility of Physiological Traits Underlying Inter-Individual Growth Differences in Intertidal and Subtidal Mussels Mytilusgalloprovincialis.

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María José Fernández-Reiriz

Full Text Available Mussel seed (Mytilusgalloprovincialis gathered from the intertidal and subtidal environments of a Galician embayment (NW, Spain were maintained in the laboratory during five months to select fast (F and slow (S growing mussels. The physiological basis underlying inter-individual growth variations were compared for F and S mussels from both origins. Fast growing seemed to be a consequence of greater energy intake (20% higher clearance and ingestion rate and higher food absorption rate coupled with low metabolic costs. The enhanced energy absorption (around 65% higher resulted in 3 times higher Scope for Growth in F mussels (20.5±4.9 J h(-1 than S individuals (7.3±1.1 J h(-1. The higher clearance rate of F mussels appears to be linked with larger gill filtration surface compared to S mussels. Intertidal mussels showed higher food acquisition and absorption per mg of organic weight (i.e. mass-specific standardization than subtidal mussels under the optimal feeding conditions of the laboratory. However, the enhanced feeding and digestive rates were not enough to compensate for the initial differences in tissue weight between mussels of similar shell length collected from the intertidal and subtidal environments. At the end of the experiment, subtidal individuals had higher gill efficiency, which probably lead to higher total feeding and absorption rates relative to intertidal individuals.

Thermal legacies: transgenerational effects of temperature on growth in a vertebrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Santiago; Munch, Stephan B

2012-02-01

Transgenerational plasticity (TGP), a generalisation of more widely studied maternal effects, occurs whenever environmental cues experienced by either parent prior to fertilisation results in a modification of offspring reaction norms. Such effects have been observed in many traits across many species. Despite enormous potential importance-particularly in an era of rapid climate change-TGP in thermal growth physiology has never been demonstrated for vertebrates. We provide the first evidence for thermal TGP in a vertebrate: given sufficient time, sheepshead minnows adaptively program their offspring for maximal growth at the present temperature. The change in growth over a single generation (c. 30%) exceeds the single-generation rate of adaptive evolution by an order of magnitude. If widespread, transgenerational effects on thermal performance may have important implications on physiology, ecology and contemporary evolution, and may significantly alter the extinction risk posed by changing climate. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Growth hormone, growth factors, and acromegaly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ludecke, D.K.; Tolis, G.T.

1987-01-01

This book contains five sections, each consisting of several papers. The section headings are: Biochemistry and Physiology of GH and Growth Factors, Pathology of Acromegaly, Clinical Endocrinology of Acromegaly, Nonsurgical Therapy of Acromegaly, and Surgical Therapy of Acromegaly.

Harvesting yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at different physiological phases significantly affects its functionality in bread dough fermentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaei, Mohammad N; Dornez, Emmie; Jacobs, Pieter; Parsi, Anali; Verstrepen, Kevin J; Courtin, Christophe M

2014-05-01

Fermentation of sugars into CO2, ethanol and secondary metabolites by baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) during bread making leads to leavening of dough and changes in dough rheology. The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the impact of yeast on dough related aspects by investigating the effect of harvesting yeast at seven different points of the growth profile on its fermentation performance, metabolite production, and the effect on critical dough fermentation parameters, such as gas retention potential. The yeast cells harvested during the diauxic shift and post-diauxic growth phase showed a higher fermentation rate and, consequently, higher maximum dough height than yeast cells harvested in the exponential or stationary growth phase. The results further demonstrate that the onset of CO2 loss from fermenting dough is correlated with the fermentation rate of yeast, but not with the amount of CO2 that accumulated up to the onset point. Analysis of the yeast metabolites produced in dough yielded a possible explanation for this observation, as they are produced in different levels depending on physiological phase and in concentrations that can influence dough matrix properties. Together, our results demonstrate a strong effect of yeast physiology at the time of harvest on subsequent dough fermentation performance, and hint at an important role of yeast metabolites on the subsequent gas holding capacity. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Growth Story: Canada's Long-run Economic Performance and Prospects

OpenAIRE

Peter J. Nicholson

2003-01-01

In this lead article, Peter Nicholson, who until recently served as advisor to the Secretary General at the OECD and is currently serving as policy advisor to the Prime Minister, Paul Martin, discusses the long-run economic performance, prospects in Canada, and policy priorities based on the framework and insights that emerged from the recent study of economic growth released by the OECD. He argues that Canada has performed remarkably well since the mid-1990s, and that by the pro-growth polic...

Performance and physiological effects of different descending strategies for cross-country mountain biking.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Matthew C; Macdermid, Paul W; Fink, Phil W; Stannard, Stephen R

2017-04-01

This study investigated the performance-related feasibility and physiological benefits of purposefully eliminating propulsive work while descending in mountain biking and compared values to those measured during road descending. Participants cycled uphill on a road at race pace before descending over three conditions (off-road pedalling; off-road coasting; road coasting). Relatively low power output during off-road pedalling was associated with a greater oxygen uptake (p  .05). Importantly, pedalling did not invoke a performance benefit (p > .05) on the descent used in this study. Significantly greater heart rate and oxygen uptake (both p bike athletes focus on skills to increase descending speed without the addition of pedalling, and that equipment be used to decrease vibrations nearer to those seen on the road.

Growth and physiological responses to cadmium stress of two populations of Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fernández, R.; Bertrand, A. [Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n, 33071 Oviedo (Spain); Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (Spain); Reis, R.; Mourato, M.P.; Martins, L.L. [Departamento de Química Agrícola e Ambiental, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda 1349-017, Lisboa (Portugal); González, A., E-mail: aidag@uniovi.es [Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Universidad de Oviedo, Catedrático Rodrigo Uría s/n, 33071 Oviedo (Spain); Instituto Universitario de Biotecnología de Asturias (Spain)

2013-01-15

Highlights: ► Cd tolerance and accumulation are constitutive traits in D. viscosa. ► The physiological mechanisms involved in Cd stress differed between clones. ► The metallicolous clone was more Cd tolerant than the non-metallicolous one. ► Antioxidant enzymes had important roles in each clone, especially peroxidases. -- Abstract: Two clones of Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter from contrasting populations, DV-A (metallicolous) and DV-W (non-metallicolous), were studied to compare Cd accumulation and tolerance. After 10 days of hydroponic culture with 0, 5, 10, and 15 mg Cd L{sup −1}, metal accumulation and plant growth were measured as well as other stress markers such as decrease in the content of photosynthetic pigments, lipid peroxidation, phenols, H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, and free proline. We also analyzed the activity of the antioxidant enzymes guaiacol and ascorbate peroxidases, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione reductase as well as their isoform patterns. Our results confirmed a high Cd tolerance and accumulation in both clones of D. viscosa, which suggests that these traits are constitutive in this species. However, when the Cd concentration in solution exceeded 10 mg Cd L{sup −1}, DV-A was more tolerant than DV-W. The physiological mechanisms involved in Cd tolerance also differed between them, although phenols and guaiacol peroxidase played an important role in both clones. The effective Cd detoxification of DV-A consisted mainly in a promoted ascorbate peroxidase activity and better efficiency of catalase and glutathione reductase enzymes.

A New Strategy in Observer Modeling for Greenhouse Cucumber Seedling Growth

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Quan; Zheng, Chenfei; Wang, Wenping; Qiao, Xiaojun; Bai, He; Yu, Jingquan; Shi, Kai

2017-01-01

State observer is an essential component in computerized control loops for greenhouse-crop systems. However, the current accomplishments of observer modeling for greenhouse-crop systems mainly focus on mass/energy balance, ignoring physiological responses of crops. As a result, state observers for crop physiological responses are rarely developed, and control operations are typically made based on experience rather than actual crop requirements. In addition, existing observer models require a large number of parameters, leading to heavy computational load and poor application feasibility. To address these problems, we present a new state observer modeling strategy that takes both environmental information and crop physiological responses into consideration during the observer modeling process. Using greenhouse cucumber seedlings as an instance, we sample 10 physiological parameters of cucumber seedlings at different time point during the exponential growth stage, and employ them to build growth state observers together with 8 environmental parameters. Support vector machine (SVM) acts as the mathematical tool for observer modeling. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) is used to select the dominant environmental and physiological parameters in the modeling process. With the dominant parameters, simplified observer models are built and tested. We conduct contrast experiments with different input parameter combinations on simplified and un-simplified observers. Experimental results indicate that physiological information can improve the prediction accuracies of the growth state observers. Furthermore, the simplified observer models can give equivalent or even better performance than the un-simplified ones, which verifies the feasibility of CCA. The current study can enable state observers to reflect crop requirements and make them feasible for applications with simplified shapes, which is significant for developing intelligent greenhouse control systems for modern

A New Strategy in Observer Modeling for Greenhouse Cucumber Seedling Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quan Qiu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available State observer is an essential component in computerized control loops for greenhouse-crop systems. However, the current accomplishments of observer modeling for greenhouse-crop systems mainly focus on mass/energy balance, ignoring physiological responses of crops. As a result, state observers for crop physiological responses are rarely developed, and control operations are typically made based on experience rather than actual crop requirements. In addition, existing observer models require a large number of parameters, leading to heavy computational load and poor application feasibility. To address these problems, we present a new state observer modeling strategy that takes both environmental information and crop physiological responses into consideration during the observer modeling process. Using greenhouse cucumber seedlings as an instance, we sample 10 physiological parameters of cucumber seedlings at different time point during the exponential growth stage, and employ them to build growth state observers together with 8 environmental parameters. Support vector machine (SVM acts as the mathematical tool for observer modeling. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA is used to select the dominant environmental and physiological parameters in the modeling process. With the dominant parameters, simplified observer models are built and tested. We conduct contrast experiments with different input parameter combinations on simplified and un-simplified observers. Experimental results indicate that physiological information can improve the prediction accuracies of the growth state observers. Furthermore, the simplified observer models can give equivalent or even better performance than the un-simplified ones, which verifies the feasibility of CCA. The current study can enable state observers to reflect crop requirements and make them feasible for applications with simplified shapes, which is significant for developing intelligent greenhouse control

A New Strategy in Observer Modeling for Greenhouse Cucumber Seedling Growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Quan; Zheng, Chenfei; Wang, Wenping; Qiao, Xiaojun; Bai, He; Yu, Jingquan; Shi, Kai

2017-01-01

State observer is an essential component in computerized control loops for greenhouse-crop systems. However, the current accomplishments of observer modeling for greenhouse-crop systems mainly focus on mass/energy balance, ignoring physiological responses of crops. As a result, state observers for crop physiological responses are rarely developed, and control operations are typically made based on experience rather than actual crop requirements. In addition, existing observer models require a large number of parameters, leading to heavy computational load and poor application feasibility. To address these problems, we present a new state observer modeling strategy that takes both environmental information and crop physiological responses into consideration during the observer modeling process. Using greenhouse cucumber seedlings as an instance, we sample 10 physiological parameters of cucumber seedlings at different time point during the exponential growth stage, and employ them to build growth state observers together with 8 environmental parameters. Support vector machine (SVM) acts as the mathematical tool for observer modeling. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) is used to select the dominant environmental and physiological parameters in the modeling process. With the dominant parameters, simplified observer models are built and tested. We conduct contrast experiments with different input parameter combinations on simplified and un-simplified observers. Experimental results indicate that physiological information can improve the prediction accuracies of the growth state observers. Furthermore, the simplified observer models can give equivalent or even better performance than the un-simplified ones, which verifies the feasibility of CCA. The current study can enable state observers to reflect crop requirements and make them feasible for applications with simplified shapes, which is significant for developing intelligent greenhouse control systems for modern

Performance Aspects and Physiological Responses in Male Amateur Boxing Competitions: A Brief Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Slimani, Maamer; Chaabène, Helmi; Davis, Philip; Franchini, Emerson; Cheour, Foued; Chamari, Karim

2017-04-01

Slimani, M, Chaabène, H, Davis, P, Franchini, E, Cheour, F, and Chamari, K. Performance aspects and physiological responses in male amateur boxing competitions: a brief review. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 1132-1141, 2017-Boxing is one of the most popular striking combat sports in the world. The aim of this review was to present data concerning performance analysis (time-motion and technical-tactical analysis) and physiological responses (i.e., blood lactate concentration [BLC], heart rate, and oxygen consumption) during novice and elite male simulated and official amateur boxing competitions in any age category. The present review shows that boxing competition is a high-intensity intermittent striking combat sport. Typically, the activity-to-rest ratio was higher in elite (18:1) than in novice (9:1) boxers and significant differences were observed between rounds (first round = 16:1, second round = 8:1, and third round = 6:1) in novice boxers. Thus, total stop-time and total stop-frequency increased over subsequent rounds in novice boxers. The technical-tactical aspects in elite and novice boxing bouts were different between rounds and dependent on the match outcome (i.e., winners vs. losers). Particularly, the current review highlights that triple-punch combinations, total combinations, block- and counter-punch combinations, total punches to the head, technical performance effectiveness, and defensive- and offensive-skills effectiveness may have contributed to win in novice and elite boxing competitions. Higher frequencies of technical movements were also observed in elite compared with novice boxers. From a physiological point of view, BLC increased significantly from postround 1 compared with postround 3 in novice boxing match. BLC was also higher in official than in simulated elite boxing matches in senior compared with junior boxers and in medium heavy-weight category compared with light- and medium-weight categories in junior boxing competition. A higher

Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cells Increase Tumor Growth Rates and Modify Tumor Physiology: Relevance for Therapeutic Targeting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pagan, Jonathan, E-mail: jdpagan@uams.edu; Przybyla, Beata; Jamshidi-Parsian, Azemat [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States); Gupta, Kalpna [Vascular Biology Center and Division of Hematology-Oncology Transplantation, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, MN 72223 (United States); Griffin, Robert J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205 (United States)

2013-02-18

Endothelial cell precursors from human peripheral blood have been shown to home to areas of neovascularization and may assist tumor growth by increasing or fortifying blood vessel growth. In the present study, the influence of these cells on tumor growth and physiology was investigated and the role of these cells as a therapeutic target or in determining treatment sensitivity was tested. After isolation from human blood and expansion in vitro, actively growing cells with verified endothelial phenotype (Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cell, BOEC) were injected i.v. into tumor bearing mice for three consecutive days. The growth rate was significantly enhanced in relatively small RERF human lung tumors (i.e., less than 150 mm{sup 3}) grown in immunocompromised mice by an average of 1.5-fold while it had no effect when injections were given to animals bearing larger tumors. There were no signs of toxicity or unwanted systemic effects. We also observed evidence of increased perfusion, vessel number, response to 15 Gy radiation and oxygenation in RERF tumors of animals injected with BOECs compared to control tumors. In addition, FSaII murine fibrosarcoma tumors were found to grow faster upon injection of BOECs. When FSaII tumors were subjected to a partial thermal ablation treatment using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) there was consistently elevated detection of fluorescently labeled and i.v. injected endothelial precursors in the tumor when analyzed with optical imaging and/or histological preparations. Importantly, we also observed that BOECs treated with the novel anti-angiogenic peptide anginex in-vitro, show decreased proliferation and increased sensitivity to radiation. In vivo, the normal increase in FSaII tumor growth induced by injected BOECs was blunted by the addition of anginex treatment. It appears that endothelial precursors may significantly contribute to tumor vessel growth, tumor progression and/or repair of tumor damage and may improve the

Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cells Increase Tumor Growth Rates and Modify Tumor Physiology: Relevance for Therapeutic Targeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagan, Jonathan; Przybyla, Beata; Jamshidi-Parsian, Azemat; Gupta, Kalpna; Griffin, Robert J.

2013-01-01

Endothelial cell precursors from human peripheral blood have been shown to home to areas of neovascularization and may assist tumor growth by increasing or fortifying blood vessel growth. In the present study, the influence of these cells on tumor growth and physiology was investigated and the role of these cells as a therapeutic target or in determining treatment sensitivity was tested. After isolation from human blood and expansion in vitro, actively growing cells with verified endothelial phenotype (Blood Outgrowth Endothelial Cell, BOEC) were injected i.v. into tumor bearing mice for three consecutive days. The growth rate was significantly enhanced in relatively small RERF human lung tumors (i.e., less than 150 mm 3 ) grown in immunocompromised mice by an average of 1.5-fold while it had no effect when injections were given to animals bearing larger tumors. There were no signs of toxicity or unwanted systemic effects. We also observed evidence of increased perfusion, vessel number, response to 15 Gy radiation and oxygenation in RERF tumors of animals injected with BOECs compared to control tumors. In addition, FSaII murine fibrosarcoma tumors were found to grow faster upon injection of BOECs. When FSaII tumors were subjected to a partial thermal ablation treatment using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) there was consistently elevated detection of fluorescently labeled and i.v. injected endothelial precursors in the tumor when analyzed with optical imaging and/or histological preparations. Importantly, we also observed that BOECs treated with the novel anti-angiogenic peptide anginex in-vitro, show decreased proliferation and increased sensitivity to radiation. In vivo, the normal increase in FSaII tumor growth induced by injected BOECs was blunted by the addition of anginex treatment. It appears that endothelial precursors may significantly contribute to tumor vessel growth, tumor progression and/or repair of tumor damage and may improve the

Flipped classroom model improves graduate student performance in cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tune, Johnathan D; Sturek, Michael; Basile, David P

2013-12-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a traditional lecture-based curriculum versus a modified "flipped classroom" curriculum of cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal physiology delivered to first-year graduate students. Students in both courses were provided the same notes and recorded lectures. Students in the modified flipped classroom were required to watch the prerecorded lectures before class and then attend class, where they received a quiz or homework covering material in each lecture (valued at 25% of the final grade) followed by a question and answer/problem-solving period. In the traditional curriculum, attending lectures was optional and there were no quizzes. Evaluation of effectiveness and student performance was achieved by having students in both courses take the same multiple-choice exams. Within a comparable group of graduate students, participants in the flipped course scored significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) on the cardiovascular, respiratory, and weighted cumulative sections by an average of >12 percentage points. Exam averages for students in the flipped course also tended to be higher on the renal section by ∼11 percentage points (P = 0.06). Based on our experience and responses obtained in blinded student surveys, we propose that the use of homework and in-class quizzes were critical motivating factors that likely contributed to the increase in student exam performance. Taken together, our findings support that the flipped classroom model is a highly effective means in which to disseminate key physiological concepts to graduate students.

Renal phosphate handling: Physiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Narayan Prasad

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Phosphorus is a common anion. It plays an important role in energy generation. Renal phosphate handling is regulated by three organs parathyroid, kidney and bone through feedback loops. These counter regulatory loops also regulate intestinal absorption and thus maintain serum phosphorus concentration in physiologic range. The parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, Fibrogenic growth factor 23 (FGF23 and klotho coreceptor are the key regulators of phosphorus balance in body.

Performance evaluation of Chrysopogon zizanoides under urban conditions of Kuwait.

Science.gov (United States)

Suleiman, Majda Khalil; Bhat, Narayana Ramachandra; Jacob, Sheena; Al-Burais, Meali

2018-02-01

Plant physiological and morphological attributes should be critically evaluated for selecting any species for landscaping projects. The selection of a species should be based on the evaluation of its adaptability, noninvasiveness, growth potential, and performance under the prevailing local arid conditions for their aesthetic looks, soil stabilization, and afforestation values. Chrysopogon zizanoides (Vetiver), is suitable for Kuwait because it can withstand fluctuating temperatures ranging from -14 to 55 °C with unique physical and physiological characteristics. Despite the successful growth performance of Vetiver in landscaping projects mostly in several tropical countries, it has not been utilized and evaluated in the Arabian Gulf region. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the performance of selected ten cultivars of Vetiver (ODV-1, 8, 9, 13, 17, 21, 23, Silent Valley, Urlikal, and Pannimedu) in the deficient soil and environmental conditions of Kuwait in urban landscape at minimal maintenance. It is suggested that based on visual greenery effect and overall growth performance cultivars, Pannimedu, Silent Valley, ODV-13, ODV-8 and ODV-9 can be considered for landscaping projects in Kuwait. To obtain the superior crown volume (which considers height and canopy) cultivar Pannimedu is suggested and to get a bushy growth (considering the number of tillers) cultivar ODV-13 and ODV-8 is found to be suitable.

Growth performance and certain body measurements of ostrich ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth performance and certain body measurements of ostrich chicks as affected by dietary protein levels during 2–9 weeks of age. Kh M Mahrose, AI Attia, IE Ismail, DE Abou-Kassem, ME Abd El-Hack ...

EFFECT OF USING SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS (ANISE, CHAMOMILE AND GINGER) ON PRODUCTIVE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF JAPANESE QUAIL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ABU TALEB, A.M.; HAMODI, S.J.; EL AFIFI, SH.F.

2008-01-01

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding medicinal plants to Japanese quail diet on their performance and some metabolic functions. Four hundred, one day old, unsexed Japanese quails were used in this study. Quails were divided equally into four groups of 100 birds each according to medicinal plant additives. Group one was control (without additives, and the other groups contained 0.3% from anise (group 2), chamomile (group 3) and ginger (group 4). The end of the experiment was terminated when birds were 6 weeks old. Body weight, feed intake, some organs weight and some blood parameters were measured.The results indicated that addition of medicinal plants (anise, chamomile and ginger) improved growth rate, carcass and the relative weights of spleen, ovary and testis. Also, significant increases were observed in RBC, WBC, Hb, PCV, total protein and globulin. There was reduction in cholesterol in treated groups as compared to the control.The present results confirmed the beneficial effects of dietary medicinal plants (anise, chamomile and ginger) to improve the health condition as well as the productive and physiological characteristics of quails

Study of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR and Drought on Physiological Traits and Ultimate Yield of Cultivars of Oilseed Rape (Brassica spp. L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

pooya arvin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Oilseed rape (Brassica spp L. is one of the valuable oilseed crops which has been attracting attention in recent years. Iran is located in a semi-arid region, and water shortage has caused problems, namely providing drinking water as much as water supply for crop production. Not only does Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR make plant growth stimulating hormones like Auxin and Gibberellin but also can ease stress conditions by producing ABA. Consequently, considering the current water shortage crisis in Iran, we took three main criteria into account: the roles of PGPRs in increasing resistance to abiotic stress, relief of drought effects, and the importance of cultivation of oilseed rape. The present research has been compiled to study drought and some Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR on Physiological Traits and Ultimate Yield of Cultivars of Oilseed Rape. Materials and Methods The current study was done on the basis of two simultaneous experiments (under stress and non-stress experiments during 2010- 2011 growing season at Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Station of Torogh, Mashhad is situated in East-North of Iran (36° N, 59° E, 1003 ASL . Two research sites (under stress and no-stress fields were selected beside each other. This region has a semi-arid climate (annual rainfall 286 mm. The experimental design was factorial based on randomized completely block design with three replications in each experiment. The first treatment was Plant Growth Promoting Rizobactria, including B0: no inoculation (control, B1: co-inoculation (Pseudomonas flourescens 169+P. putida 108, B2: inoculation with P. flourescens 169 and B3: inoculation with P. putida 108. Second treatment was cultivar, including Hayola401 and Hayola330 cultivars belong to Brassica napus, Parkland and Goldrush cultivars belong to B. rapa and BP18 and landrace cultivars belong to B.juncea .Greenness index, plant height, relative water content

The effect of aerobic exercise and starvation on growth performance and postprandial metabolic response in juvenile southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis).

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiu-Ming; Liu, Li; Yuan, Jian-Ming; Xiao, Yuan-Yuan; Fu, Shi-Jian; Zhang, Yao-Guang

2016-03-01

To investigate the effects of aerobic exercise and starvation on growth performance, postprandial metabolic response and their interaction in a sedentary fish species, either satiation-fed or starved juvenile southern catfish (Silurus meridionalis) were exercised at 25 °C under three water velocities, i.e., nearly still water (control), 1 body length (bl) s(-1) and 2 bl s(-1), for eight weeks. Then, the feed intake (FI), food conversion efficiency (FCE), specific growth rate (SGR), morphological parameters, resting ṀO2 (ṀO2rest) and postprandial ṀO2 responses of the experimental fish were measured. Exercise at a low velocity (1 bl s(-1)) showed no effect on any growth performance parameter, whereas exercise at a high velocity (2 bl s(-1)) exhibited higher FI but similar SGR due to the extra energy expenditure from swimming and consequent decreased FCE. Starvation led to a significant body mass loss, whereas the effect intensified in both exercise groups. Exercise resulted in improved cardio-respiratory capacity, as indicated by increased gill and heart indexes, whereas it exhibited no effect on resting and postprandial metabolism in S. meridionalis. The starved fish displayed significantly larger heart, gill and digestive tract indexes compared with the feeding fish, suggesting selective maintenance of cardio-respiratory and digestive function in this fish species during starvation. However, starved fish still exhibited impaired digestive performance, as evidenced by the prolonged duration and low postprandial metabolic increase, and this effect was further exacerbated in both the 1 and 2 bl s(-1) exercise groups. These data suggest the following: (1) aerobic exercise produced no improvement in growth performance but may have led to the impairment of growth under insufficient food conditions; (2) the mass of different organs and tissues responded differently to aerobic exercise and starvation due to the different physiological roles they play; and (3

Effect of heat on firefighters' work performance and physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Brianna; Snow, Rodney; Aisbett, Brad

2015-10-01

Wildland firefighters often perform their duties under both hot and mild ambient temperatures. However, the direct impact of different ambient temperatures on firefighters' work performance has not been quantified. This study compared firefighters' work performance and physiology during simulated wildland firefighting work in hot (HOT; 32°C, 43% RH) and temperate (CON; 19°C, 56% RH) conditions. Firefighters (n=38), matched and allocated to either the CON (n=18) or HOT (n=20) condition, performed simulated self-paced wildland fire suppression tasks (e.g., hose rolling/dragging, raking) in firefighting clothing for six hours, separated by dedicated rest breaks. Task repetitions were counted (and converted to distance or area). Core temperature (Tc), skin temperature (Tsk), and heart rate were recorded continuously throughout the protocol. Urine output was measured before and during the protocol, and urine specific gravity (USG) analysed, to estimate hydration. Ad libitum fluid intake was also recorded. There were no differences in overall work output between conditions for any physical task. Heart rate was higher in the HOT (55±2% HRmax) compared to the CON condition (51±2% HRmax) for the rest periods between bouts, and for the static hose hold task (69±3% HRmax versus 65±3% HRmax). Tc and Tsk were 0.3±0.1°C and 3.1±0.2°C higher in the HOT compared to the CON trial. Both pre- and within- shift fluid intake were increased two-fold in the heat, and participants in the heat recorded lower USG results than their CON counterparts. There was no difference between the CON and HOT conditions in terms of their work performance, and firefighters in both experimental groups increased their work output over the course of the simulated shift. Though significantly hotter, participants in the heat also managed to avoid excessive cardiovascular and thermal strain, likely aided by the frequent rest breaks in the protocol, and through doubling their fluid intake. Therefore

Insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors in the brain: physiological and pathological aspects.

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Haim; LeRoith, Derek

2014-12-01

The involvement of insulin, the insulin-like growth factors (IGF1, IGF2) and their receptors in central nervous system development and function has been the focus of scientific interest for more than 30 years. The insulin-like peptides, both locally-produced proteins as well as those transported from the circulation into the brain via the blood-brain barrier, are involved in a myriad of biological activities. These actions include, among others, neuronal survival, neurogenes, angiogenesis, excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, regulation of food intake, and cognition. In recent years, a linkage between brain insulin/IGF1 and certain neuropathologies has been identified. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a correlation between diabetes (mainly type 2) and Alzheimer׳s disease. In addition, an aberrant decline in IGF1 values was suggested to play a role in the development of Alzheimer׳s disease. The present review focuses on the expression and function of insulin, IGFs and their receptors in the brain in physiological and pathological conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. and ECNP. All rights reserved.

Subsequent growth performance and digestive physiology of broilers fed on starter diets containing spray-dried porcine plasma as a substitute for meat meal.

Science.gov (United States)

Beski, S S M; Swick, R A; Iji, P A

2015-01-01

A 4 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of inclusion of spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP), in lieu of meat meal, in the starter diet on performance and digestive physiology of broiler chickens between hatch and 35 d of age. Four levels of SDPP (0, 5, 10 or 20 g/kg) were included in the starter diets in lieu of meat meal on either wheat- or maize-based diets. Over the first 10 d, and throughout the 35-d experimental period, birds gained more body weight with increasing concentrations of SDPP regardless to the type of grain used. Inclusion of SDPP in the starter diet markedly improved feed per gain in the starter phase and across the 35-d study. There was no significant effect of the type of grain and its interaction with SDPP on the body weight gain and feed per gain for the two assessed periods. At d 10, the relative weight of the gizzard+proventriculus, spleen and liver increased with increasing concentrations of SDPP. At 24 d of age, the grain and SDPP inclusion significantly interacted, depressing the weight of bursa and spleen in birds that received the highest concentration of SDPP in the maize-based diet. Birds fed on the maize-based diets had higher relative weight of pancreas than those on the wheat-based diets. Increasing concentrations of SDPP in the starter diet improved the activities of maltase, sucrase and alkaline phosphatase at 24 d of age. The interaction of grain and SDPP concentration was significant for sucrase activity in birds on the wheat-based diets. Chickens on maize-based diets had higher alkaline phosphatase and maltase activities than those on wheat-based diets. Chicks that were offered SDPP-containing starter diets had longer villi, deeper crypts and lower villi/crypt than the control at 24 d of age regardless of the grain type used. Furthermore, longer villi and larger villi/crypt were found in chicken groups fed on wheat-based diets than those on maize-based diets. Chickens on maize-based diets had higher

Residual effects of biochar on improving growth, physiology and yield of wheat under salt stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Akhtar, Saqib Saleem; Andersen, Mathias Neumann; Liu, Fulai

2015-01-01

Salinity is one of the major threats to global food security. Biochar amendment could alleviate the negative impacts of salt stress in crop in the season. However, its long-term residual effect on reducing Na+ uptake in latter crops remains unknown. A pot experiment with wheat was conducted...... in a greenhouse. The soil used was from an earlier experiment on potato where the plants were irrigated with tap water (S0), 25 mM (S1) and 50 mM (S2) NaCl solutions and with 0 and 5% (w/w) biochar amendment. At onset of the experiment, three different EC levels at S0, S1 and S2 were established in the non...... by transient Na+ binding due to its high adsorption capacity, decreasing osmotic stress by enhancing soil moisture content, and by releasing mineral nutrients (particularly K+, Ca++, Mg++) into the soil solution. Growth, physiology and yield of wheat were affected positively with biochar amendment...

Performance Evaluation of Glottal Inverse Filtering Algorithms Using a Physiologically Based Articulatory Speech Synthesizer

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-05

vol. 74, pp. 279–295, 1999. [11] M. Fröhlich, D. Michaelis, and H. W. Strube, “SIM— simultaneous inverse filtering and matching of a glottal flow...1 Performance Evaluation of Glottal Inverse Filtering Algorithms Using a Physiologically Based Articulatory Speech Synthesizer Yu-Ren Chien, Daryush...D. Mehta, Member, IEEE, Jón Guðnason, Matías Zañartu, Member, IEEE, and Thomas F. Quatieri, Fellow, IEEE Abstract—Glottal inverse filtering aims to

Physiological and Biochemical Characteristics in Flag Leaves of the C Liangyou Series of Hybrid Rice Combinations at Late Growth Stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-bang TANG

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The contents of chlorophyll, soluble sugars, soluble proteins and thiobarbituric acid reaction substance (TBARS, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, net photosynthetic rate as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD and peroxidase (POD of flag leaves at the late growth stages were studied by using C Liangyou series of hybrid rice combinitions as material and Shanyou 63 as control. The C Liangyou series of hybrid rice combinations used in the experiment included C Liangyou 396, C Liangyou 87, C Liangyou 755 and C Liangyou 34, which all used C815S as male sterile line. The contents of chlorophyll, soluble sugars and soluble proteins in flag leaves of the C Liangyou series combinations at the late growth stages were higher than those of the control, whereas the TBARS content was lower than that of the control. The activities of SOD and POD were significantly higher than those of the control on the 7th day after heading, and then decreased slowly. FPSII value and qP value of flag leaves decreased at the late growth stages, and these two parameters in flag leaves of the C Liangyou series combinations were higher than those of the control, while the qN value increased at the late growth stages and was lower than that of the control. The net photosynthetic rate of flag leaves at the late growth stage was higher compared with the control. These results suggest that slow senescence and strong photosynthetic capability in flag leaves at the late growth stages are the physiological basis of the C Liangyou series combinations.

Altered serotonin physiology in human breast cancers favors paradoxical growth and cell survival.

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Vaibhav P; Marshall, Aaron M; Hernandez, Laura L; Buckley, Arthur R; Horseman, Nelson D

2009-01-01

The breast microenvironment can either retard or accelerate the events associated with progression of latent cancers. However, the actions of local physiological mediators in the context of breast cancers are poorly understood. Serotonin (5-HT) is a critical local regulator of epithelial homeostasis in the breast and other organs. Herein, we report complex alterations in the intrinsic mammary gland serotonin system of human breast cancers. Serotonin biosynthetic capacity was analyzed in human breast tumor tissue microarrays using immunohistochemistry for tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1). Serotonin receptors (5-HT1-7) were analyzed in human breast tumors using the Oncomine database. Serotonin receptor expression, signal transduction, and 5-HT effects on breast cancer cell phenotype were compared in non-transformed and transformed human breast cells. In the context of the normal mammary gland, 5-HT acts as a physiological regulator of lactation and involution, in part by favoring growth arrest and cell death. This tightly regulated 5-HT system is subverted in multiple ways in human breast cancers. Specifically, TPH1 expression undergoes a non-linear change during progression, with increased expression during malignant progression. Correspondingly, the tightly regulated pattern of 5-HT receptors becomes dysregulated in human breast cancer cells, resulting in both ectopic expression of some isoforms and suppression of others. The receptor expression change is accompanied by altered downstream signaling of 5-HT receptors in human breast cancer cells, resulting in resistance to 5-HT-induced apoptosis, and stimulated proliferation. Our data constitutes the first report of direct involvement of 5-HT in human breast cancer. Increased 5-HT biosynthetic capacity accompanied by multiple changes in 5-HT receptor expression and signaling favor malignant progression of human breast cancer cells (for example, stimulated proliferation, inappropriate cell survival). This occurs

Biochemical and growth performance of the aquatic macrophyte Azolla filiculoides to sub-chronic exposure to cylindrospermopsin.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Catarina; Azevedo, Joana; Campos, Alexandre; Vasconcelos, Vitor; Pereira, Ana L

2015-11-01

Physiological and biochemical effects of cylindrospermopsin (CYN), a cyanobacterial toxin that inhibits protein synthesis and released during a harmful cyanobacterial bloom, has been overlooked in plants. Therefore, at the present research, the toxic effects (physiological and biochemical) of a crude extract containing CYN were assessed in the aquatic fern Azolla filiculoides exposed to three concentrations (0.05, 0.5 and 5 μg CYN mL(-1)). At 5 μg CYN mL(-1), fern growth rate has showed a drastic decrease (0.001 g g(-1) day(-1)) corresponding to a 99.8% inhibition, but at the concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5 μg CYN mL(-1) the growth rate was similar to the control plants. Growth rate also indicated a IC50 of 2.9 μg CYN mL(-1). Those data point to the presence of other compounds in the crude extract may stimulate the fern growth and/or the fern is tolerant to CYN. Chlorophyll (a and b), carotenoids and protein content as well as the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) has increased at 5 μg CYN mL(-1) which may indicate that photosynthesis and protein synthesis are not affected by CYN and the probable activation of defense and detoxifying mechanisms to overcome the effects induced by the presence of CYN. Low uptake of cylindrospermopsin (1.314 μg CYN g(-1) FW) and low bioconcentration factor (0.401) point towards to a safe use of A. filiculoides as biofertilizer and as food source, but also indicate that the fern is not suitable for CYN phytoremediation.

Growth assessment in diagnosis of Fetal Growth Restriction. Review

OpenAIRE

Albu, AR; Horhoianu, IA; Dumitrascu, MC; Horhoianu, V

2014-01-01

Abstract The assessment of fetal growth represents a fundamental step towards the identification of the true growth restricted fetus that is associated to important perinatal morbidity and mortality. The possible ways of detecting abnormal fetal growth are taken into consideration in this review and their strong and weak points are discussed. An important debate still remains about how to discriminate between the physiologically small fetus that does not require special surveillance and the t...

Iron Deficiency in Seagrasses and Macroalgae in the Red Sea Is Unrelated to Latitude and Physiological Performance

KAUST Repository

Anton, Andrea; Hendriks, Iris E.; Marbà , Nú ria; Krause-Jensen, Dorte; Garcias Bonet, Neus; Duarte, Carlos M.

2018-01-01

Iron can limit primary production in shallow marine systems, especially in tropical waters characterized by carbonated sediments, where iron is largely trapped in a non-available form. The Red Sea, an oligotrophic ecosystem characterized by a strong N-S latitudinal nutrient gradient, is a suitable setting to explore patterns in situ of iron limitation in macrophytes and their physiological performance under different iron regimes. We assessed the interactions between environmental gradients and physiological parameters of poorly-studied Red Sea macrophytes. Iron concentration, chlorophyll a concentration, blade thickness, and productivity of 17 species of macrophytes, including seven species of seagrasses and 10 species of macroalgae, were measured at 21 locations, spanning 10 latitude degrees, along the Saudi Arabian coast. Almost 90% of macrophyte species had iron concentrations below the levels indicative of iron sufficiency and more than 40% had critically low iron concentrations, suggesting that iron is a limiting factor of primary production throughout the Red Sea. We did not identify relationships between tissue iron concentration, chlorophyll a concentration and physiological performance of the 17 species of seagrass and macroalgae. There was also no latitudinal pattern in any of the parameters studied, indicating that the South to North oligotrophication of the Red Sea is not reflected in iron concentration, chlorophyll a concentration or productivity of Red Sea macrophytes.

Iron Deficiency in Seagrasses and Macroalgae in the Red Sea Is Unrelated to Latitude and Physiological Performance

KAUST Repository

Anton, Andrea

2018-03-06

Iron can limit primary production in shallow marine systems, especially in tropical waters characterized by carbonated sediments, where iron is largely trapped in a non-available form. The Red Sea, an oligotrophic ecosystem characterized by a strong N-S latitudinal nutrient gradient, is a suitable setting to explore patterns in situ of iron limitation in macrophytes and their physiological performance under different iron regimes. We assessed the interactions between environmental gradients and physiological parameters of poorly-studied Red Sea macrophytes. Iron concentration, chlorophyll a concentration, blade thickness, and productivity of 17 species of macrophytes, including seven species of seagrasses and 10 species of macroalgae, were measured at 21 locations, spanning 10 latitude degrees, along the Saudi Arabian coast. Almost 90% of macrophyte species had iron concentrations below the levels indicative of iron sufficiency and more than 40% had critically low iron concentrations, suggesting that iron is a limiting factor of primary production throughout the Red Sea. We did not identify relationships between tissue iron concentration, chlorophyll a concentration and physiological performance of the 17 species of seagrass and macroalgae. There was also no latitudinal pattern in any of the parameters studied, indicating that the South to North oligotrophication of the Red Sea is not reflected in iron concentration, chlorophyll a concentration or productivity of Red Sea macrophytes.

[Effects of soil moisture content and light intensity on the plant growth and leaf physiological characteristics of squash].

Science.gov (United States)

Du, She-ni; Bai, Gang-shuan; Liang, Yin-li

2011-04-01

A pot experiment with artificial shading was conducted to study the effects of soil moisture content and light intensity on the plant growth and leaf physiological characteristics of squash variety "Jingyingyihao". Under all test soil moisture conditions, 30% shading promoted the growth of "Jingyingyihao", with the highest yield at 70% - 80% soil relative moisture contents. 70% shading inhibited plant growth severely, only flowering and not bearing fruits, no economic yield produced. In all treatments, there was a similar water consumption trend, i. e., both the daily and the total water consumption decreased with increasing shading and decreasing soil moisture content. Among all treatments, 30% shading and 70% - 80% soil relative moisture contents had the highest water use efficiency (2.36 kg mm(-1) hm(-2)) and water output rate (1.57 kg mm(-1) hm(-2)). The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll content of squash leaves decreased with increasing shading, whereas the intercellular CO2 concentration was in adverse. The leaf protective enzyme activity and proline content decreased with increasing shading, and the leaf MAD content decreased in the order of 70% shading, natural radiation, and 30% shading. Under the three light intensities, the change characteristics of squash leaf photosynthesis, protective enzyme activity, and proline and MAD contents differed with the increase of soil relative moisture content.

Growth and physiological responses of canola (Brassica napus) to three components of global climate change: temperature, carbon dioxide and drought

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qaderi, M.M.; Kurepin, L.V.; Reid, D.M. [Univ. of Calgary, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Calgary, Alberta (Canada)

2006-12-15

Elevated CO{sub 2} appears to be a significant factor in global warming, which will likely lead to drought conditions in many areas. Few studies have considered the interactive effects of higher CO{sub 2}, temperature and drought on plant growth and physiology. We grew canola (Brassica napus cv. 45H72) plants under lower (22/18 deg. C) and higher (28/24 deg. C) temperature regimes in controlled-environment chambers at ambient (370 {mu}mol mol-1) and elevated (740 {mu}mol mol-1) CO{sub 2} levels. One half of the plants were watered to field capacity and the other half at wilting point. In three separate experiments, we determined growth, various physiological parameters and content of abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid and ethylene. Drought-stressed plants grown under higher temperature at ambient CO{sub 2} had decreased stem height and diameter, leaf number and area, dry matter, leaf area ratio, shoot/root weight ratio, net CO{sub 2} assimilation and chlorophyll fluorescence. However, these plants had increased specific leaf weight, leaf weight ratio and chlorophyll concentration. Elevated CO{sub 2} generally had the opposite effect. and partially reversed the inhibitory effects of higher temperature and drought on leaf dry weight accumulation. This study showed that higher temperature and drought inhibit many processes but elevated CO{sub 2} partially mitigate some adverse effects. As expected, drought stress increased ABA but higher temperature inhibited the ability of plants to produce ABA in response to drought. (au)

Effect of methyl salicylate (MeSA), an elicitor on growth, physiology and pathology of resistant and susceptible rice varieties.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalaivani, Kandaswamy; Kalaiselvi, Marimuthu Maruthi; Senthil-Nathan, Sengottayan

2016-10-11

Methyl salicylate (MeSA) is a volatile organic compound synthesized from salicylic acid (SA) a plant hormone that helps to fight against plant disease. Seed treatment with MeSA, is an encouraging method to the seed industry to produce more growth and yield. The aim of our study is to find out the growth, development and disease tolerance of rice seed treated with different concentrations of MeSA. Also the seed treatments were studied to determine whether they directly influenced seedling emergence and growth in rice (Oryza sativa L) cultivars 'IR 20, IR 50, IR 64, ASD 16, ASD 19 and ADT 46' under greenhouse condition. MeSA seed treatments at 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg/L significantly increased seedling emergence. Effects were stronger in IR 50, and IR 64 and the effects were dose dependent, although the relationship between dose and effect was not always linear. MeSA seed treated rice plant against bacterial blight were analyzed. Bacterial blight was more effectively controlled by the seed treated with 100 mg/L than others. These results suggest that seed treatment with MeSA alters plant physiology in ways that may be useful for crop production as well as protection.

PRODUCTIVITY PERFORMANCE OF ESTONIA IN A GROWTH ACCOUNTING APPROACH

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Vivien MOLNAR

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the economic growth tendencies in Estonia and other formal post-socialist countries and the interaction between productivity growth and their determinants after the transition decades. So this paper is structured as follows. Firstly we will introduce an alternative growth accounting method to determine the components of productivity growth based on this concept. In Section we will also provide our empirical results in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary compared to the EU-15 countries between 1990 and 2011 how TFP (Total Factor Productivity, Physical and Labour Capital Accumulation can contribute to (increase or decrease economic performance of each country. Finally, we can conclude that the relationship between labour and output growth per capita has obviously and temporarily changed after the mid-1990s, which could be determined by the increasing role of such socio-economic factors as technological changes, capital accumulation and demographical fluctuations etc.

Creep-feeding to stimulate metabolic imprinting in nursing beef heifers: impacts on heifer growth, reproductive and physiological variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Reis, M M; Cooke, R F; Cappellozza, B I; Marques, R S; Guarnieri Filho, T A; Rodrigues, M C; Bradley, J S; Mueller, C J; Keisler, D H; Johnson, S E; Bohnert, D W

2015-09-01

This experiment compared growth, physiological, and reproductive responses of beef heifers with (MI) or without (CON) access to a creep-feeder, as a manner to stimulate metabolic imprinting while nursing their dams. On day 0, 60 Angus × Hereford heifers were ranked by BW and age (140 ± 3 kg and 68±3 days), and assigned to pairs so all ranking criteria were similar between heifers within each pair. On day 1, pairs were randomly assigned to MI (n=15) or CON (n=15). From day 1 to 51, MI pairs and their dams were allocated to 15 drylot pens where heifers had ad libitum access to a corn-based supplement through a creep-feeder. The CON pairs and their dams were maintained in an adjacent single drylot pen. From day 52 to 111, treatments were managed as a single group on a semiarid range pasture. On day 111, heifers were weaned and allocated to two pastures (one pasture/treatment), receiving hay and a corn-based concentrate until day 326. Heifer BW was recorded before and at the end of the creep-feeding period (day 1 to 51), and on days 112 and 326. On days 0, 51, 111, 187, 261, and 325, jugular blood was collected and real-time ultrasonography for longissimus muscle depth and backfat thickness assessment was performed. Blood was also collected every 10 days from days 113 to 323 for puberty evaluation via plasma progesterone. Liver and subcutaneous fat biopsies were performed on days 51, 111, 261 and 325. Average daily gain was greater (Pimprinting effect, but did not hasten their puberty attainment.

Impact of Subject Specialists on Teaching: Application to Physiology

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B. V. Owoyele

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The study investigated the impact of teachers on the teaching of a physiology course to performing arts students of the University of Ilorin. Questionnaires and personal observations were used to assess students' perception of the course and performance, the examination results in the two years before and after the takeover of the course by physiology teachers were obtained and analysed. The results showed that the students appreciated the teaching by core physiology teachers than the teaching by performing arts teachers and the initial phobias of the students were significantly doused. The average performance by the students did not change significantly and this further justified the taking over of the course by physiology teachers.

Physiological Basis for the Tolerance of Yeast Zygosaccharomyces bisporus to Salt Stress

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Akshya Sharma

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Zygosaccharomyces bisporus is a moderately halotolerant yeast isolated from highly sugary and salty foods. We performed various evident biochemical and in vivo experiments as first of its kind to sketch out the possible overlay of salt tolerance mechanism in this model organism. The growth and survival curve analysis revealed that 1.0 M NaCl concentration (sublethal enacts growth inhibitory effects with prompting immediate delay in cell division cycle; however, yeast cells adopted modified stress physiologically with further stretched stress spans which was accompanied by an upsurge in the level of cellular metabolites such as trehalose (reserve carbohydrate and chiefly glycerol (polyols as major compatible osmolytes, suggesting their role in defense mechanism against osmotic stress. To further elucidate the relation of osmotic stress cell physiology to salinity, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, protein carbonyl, and reduced glutathione content were measured in salt-stressed cells demonstrating positive correlation of reactive oxygen species generation in Z. bisporus with an elevated concentration of lipid and protein oxidation, thereby damaging cell membrane and eventually causing cell death. We assessed NaCl exposure sourcing increased intracellular reactive oxygen species concentration, by an electron transfer-based colorimetric cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity assay justifying that cellular total antioxidant capacity which uses all the combined antioxidant activities present within vitamins, proteins, lipids, and glutathione reverses these deleterious stress effects. Henceforth, performance of Z. bisporus MTCC 4801 mounted because of stress regime seems to be multifactorial.

Temperature-dependent growth of Geomyces destructans, the fungus that causes bat white-nose syndrome.

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Michelle L Verant

Full Text Available White-nose syndrome (WNS is an emergent disease estimated to have killed over five million North American bats. Caused by the psychrophilic fungus Geomyces destructans, WNS specifically affects bats during hibernation. We describe temperature-dependent growth performance and morphology for six independent isolates of G. destructans from North America and Europe. Thermal performance curves for all isolates displayed an intermediate peak with rapid decline in performance above the peak. Optimal temperatures for growth were between 12.5 and 15.8°C, and the upper critical temperature for growth was between 19.0 and 19.8°C. Growth rates varied across isolates, irrespective of geographic origin, and above 12°C all isolates displayed atypical morphology that may have implications for proliferation of the fungus. This study demonstrates that small variations in temperature, consistent with those inherent of bat hibernacula, affect growth performance and physiology of G. destructans, which may influence temperature-dependent progression and severity of WNS in wild bats.

Temperature-dependent growth of Geomyces destructans, the fungus that causes bat white-nose syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Verant, Michelle L; Boyles, Justin G; Waldrep, William; Wibbelt, Gudrun; Blehert, David S

2012-01-01

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is an emergent disease estimated to have killed over five million North American bats. Caused by the psychrophilic fungus Geomyces destructans, WNS specifically affects bats during hibernation. We describe temperature-dependent growth performance and morphology for six independent isolates of G. destructans from North America and Europe. Thermal performance curves for all isolates displayed an intermediate peak with rapid decline in performance above the peak. Optimal temperatures for growth were between 12.5 and 15.8°C, and the upper critical temperature for growth was between 19.0 and 19.8°C. Growth rates varied across isolates, irrespective of geographic origin, and above 12°C all isolates displayed atypical morphology that may have implications for proliferation of the fungus. This study demonstrates that small variations in temperature, consistent with those inherent of bat hibernacula, affect growth performance and physiology of G. destructans, which may influence temperature-dependent progression and severity of WNS in wild bats.

Growth performance and phytoremediation ability of Azolla pinnata ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ADOWIE PERE

Growth performance and phytoremediation ability of Azolla pinnata in produced water ... Toxicity symptoms of produced water on the plant include chlorosis, frond ... easily to various conditions and can tolerate a wide ... The aquatic macrophyte used for this experiment was .... the Kathloni oilfield in northeast India.

Effects of exogenous tannase enzyme on growth performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of dietary addition of tannase to feed of chicks including grape pomace (GP) on growth performance, antioxidant status, immune response, blood parameters, gut morphology, intestinal microflora, liver function, and histopathological responses. The experimental diets were i) ...

Employment, Economic Growth and Labor Market Performance: The Case of Turkey

OpenAIRE

Alparslan AKÇORAOĞLU

2010-01-01

The fundamental aim of this paper is to explore the empirical relationship between employment and economic growth in Turkey over the period 1995Q1-2007Q4 by using modern time series techniques. The employment growth performance is a concern for Turkey as its employment rate is well below any European Union (EU) member country. Some authors have argued that the rates of employment growth in Turkey have remained low over the same period despite relatively strong economic growth. The results of ...

Biochemical and physiological characterization of oil palm interspecific hybrids (elaeis oleifera x elaeis guineensis) grown in hydroponics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivera Mendez, Yurany Dayanna; Moreno Chacon, Andres Leonardo; Romero, Hernan Mauricio

2013-01-01

The interspecific hybrid, Elaeis oleifera x Elaeis guineensis (OxG) is an alternative for improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the Latin American oil palm agro-industry, because of its partial resistance to some lethal diseases and also because of the high quality of its oil. A comparative characterization was conducted of the physiological and biochemical performance of seedlings of six OxG hybrids grown in hydroponics. Gas exchange, vegetative growth, protein, sugar and photosynthetic pigment content, and antioxidant system activity were determined. With the exception of gas exchange, the other variables showed significant differences between materials. The U1273 and U1737 materials showed greater vegetative growth with no expression of biochemical traits, while the U1914 and U1990 materials showed high levels of reducing and total sugars, photosynthetic pigments, and antioxidant system activities, characteristics that could confer them adaptation to stress conditions. With the standardized hydroponics technique, the optimal conditions for the growth of seedlings were ensured, the differences between materials were established, and so those with promising features from the physiological and biochemical standpoint were identified. Finally, it could be used to study in a simple, fast, clean and inexpensive way, the effect of levels and sources of mineral nutrients on the growth and development of oil palm.

Plant growth promoting effect of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H-2-5 on crop plants and influence on physiological changes in soybean under soil salinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Min-Ji; Radhakrishnan, Ramalingam; Kang, Sang-Mo; You, Young-Hyun; Jeong, Eun-Ju; Kim, Jong-Guk; Lee, In-Jung

2017-07-01

This study was aimed to identify plant growth-promoting bacterial isolates from soil samples and to investigate their ability to improve plant growth and salt tolerance by analysing phytohormones production and phosphate solubilisation. Among the four tested bacterial isolates (I-2-1, H-1-4, H-2-3, and H-2-5), H-2-5 was able to enhance the growth of Chinese cabbage, radish, tomato, and mustard plants. The isolated bacterium H-2-5 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H-2-5 based on 16S rDNA sequence and phylogenetic analysis. The secretion of gibberellins (GA 4 , GA 8 , GA 9 , GA 19 , and GA 20 ) from B. amyloliquefaciens H-2-5 and their phosphate solubilisation ability may contribute to enhance plant growth. In addition, the H-2-5-mediated mitigation of short term salt stress was tested on soybean plants that were affected by sodium chloride. Abscisic acid (ABA) produced by the H-2-5 bacterium suppressed the NaCl-induced stress effects in soybean by enhancing plant growth and GA 4 content, and by lowering the concentration of ABA, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and proline. These results suggest that GAs, ABA production, and the phosphate solubilisation capacity of B. amyloliquefaciens H-2-5 are important stimulators that promote plant growth through their interaction and also to improve plant growth by physiological changes in soybean at saline soil.

Monolayer-Mediated Growth of Organic Semiconductor Films with Improved Device Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Lizhen; Hu, Xiaorong; Chi, Lifeng

2015-09-15

Increased interest in wearable and smart electronics is driving numerous research works on organic electronics. The control of film growth and patterning is of great importance when targeting high-performance organic semiconductor devices. In this Feature Article, we summarize our recent work focusing on the growth, crystallization, and device operation of organic semiconductors intermediated by ultrathin organic films (in most cases, only a monolayer). The site-selective growth, modified crystallization and morphology, and improved device performance of organic semiconductor films are demonstrated with the help of the inducing layers, including patterned and uniform Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers, crystalline ultrathin organic films, and self-assembled polymer brush films. The introduction of the inducing layers could dramatically change the diffusion of the organic semiconductors on the surface and the interactions between the active layer with the inducing layer, leading to improved aggregation/crystallization behavior and device performance.

Growth Performance, Haematological Indices and Cost Benefits of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lenovo pc

Effect of replacing dietary maize with cassava peel meal (CPM) supplemented with Allzyme® SSF (SSF) on the growth performance, haematological indices and cost benefits of growing pigs was investigated. Chemical composition of CPM and diets used were determined using standard procedures. Twenty-four growing ...

Conservation physiology of animal migration

Science.gov (United States)

Lennox, Robert J.; Chapman, Jacqueline M.; Souliere, Christopher M.; Tudorache, Christian; Wikelski, Martin; Metcalfe, Julian D.; Cooke, Steven J.

2016-01-01

Migration is a widespread phenomenon among many taxa. This complex behaviour enables animals to exploit many temporally productive and spatially discrete habitats to accrue various fitness benefits (e.g. growth, reproduction, predator avoidance). Human activities and global environmental change represent potential threats to migrating animals (from individuals to species), and research is underway to understand mechanisms that control migration and how migration responds to modern challenges. Focusing on behavioural and physiological aspects of migration can help to provide better understanding, management and conservation of migratory populations. Here, we highlight different physiological, behavioural and biomechanical aspects of animal migration that will help us to understand how migratory animals interact with current and future anthropogenic threats. We are in the early stages of a changing planet, and our understanding of how physiology is linked to the persistence of migratory animals is still developing; therefore, we regard the following questions as being central to the conservation physiology of animal migrations. Will climate change influence the energetic costs of migration? Will shifting temperatures change the annual clocks of migrating animals? Will anthropogenic influences have an effect on orientation during migration? Will increased anthropogenic alteration of migration stopover sites/migration corridors affect the stress physiology of migrating animals? Can physiological knowledge be used to identify strategies for facilitating the movement of animals? Our synthesis reveals that given the inherent challenges of migration, additional stressors derived from altered environments (e.g. climate change, physical habitat alteration, light pollution) or interaction with human infrastructure (e.g. wind or hydrokinetic turbines, dams) or activities (e.g. fisheries) could lead to long-term changes to migratory phenotypes. However, uncertainty remains

Potassium-modulated physiological performance of mango plants infected by Ceratocystis fimbriata

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Isaias Severino Cacique

2017-08-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Mango wilt, caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fimbriata, is an important disease affecting mango production. In view of the beneficial effects of potassium (K in other profitable crops and the lack of information about the effect of macronutrients on mango wilt development, the present study aimed to evaluate how mango plants supplied with K respond physiologically when infected by C. fimbriata. Mango plants (» 3 years old from cultivar Ubá were grown in plastic pots containing 58 mg of K·dm−3 (original K level based on the chemical analysis of the substrate or in plastic pots with substrate amended with a solution of 0.5 M potassium chloride (KCl to achieve the rate of 240 mg K·dm−3. Disease symptoms were more pronounced in inoculated plants grown at the lower K level. Substantial declines in stomatal conductance, in line with decreases in the internal-to-ambient CO2 concentration ratio and the absence of detectable changes in the chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters, suggest that the decrease in the net carbon assimilation rate is due, at least initially, to stomatal limitations. High concentrations of K and manganese were found in the stem tissues of inoculated plants and supplied with the highest K rate, most likely due to the involvement of these tissues in the local development of defense mechanisms. The results of this study suggest that the supply of K favored the physiological performance of mango plants and their resistance against C. fimbriata infection.

Physiological and photosynthetic response of quinoa to drought stress

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Rachid Fghire

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Water shortage is a critical problem touching plant growth and yield in semi-arid areas, for instance the Mediterranean región. For this reason was studied the physiological basis of drought tolerance of a new, drought tolerant crop quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd. tested in Morocco in two successive seasons, subject to four irrigation treatments (100, 50, and 33%ETc, and rainfed. The chlorophyll a fluorescence transients were analyzed by the JIP-test to transíate stress-induced damage in these transients to changes in biophysical parameter's allowing quantification of the energy flow through the photosynthetic apparatus. Drought stress induced a significant decrease in the maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry (Φpo = Fv/Fm, and the quantum yield of electron transport (Φeo. The amount of active Photosystem II (PSII reaction centers (RC per excited cross section (RC/CS also decreased when exposed to the highest drought stress. The effective antenna size of active RCs (ABS/RC increased and the effective dissipation per active reaction centers (DIo/RC increased by increasing drought stress during the growth season in comparison to the control. However the performance index (PI, was a very sensitive indicator of the physiological status of plants. Leaf area index, leaf water potential and stomatal conductance decreased as the drought increased. These results indicate that, in quinoa leaf, JIP-test can be used as a sensitive method for measuring drought stress effects.

Supporting Placement Supervision in Clinical Exercise Physiology

Science.gov (United States)

Sealey, Rebecca M.; Raymond, Jacqueline; Groeller, Herb; Rooney, Kieron; Crabb, Meagan; Watt, Kerrianne

2015-01-01

The continued engagement of the professional workforce as supervisors is critical for the sustainability and growth of work-integrated learning activities in university degrees. This study investigated factors that influence the willingness and ability of clinicians to continue to supervise clinical exercise physiology work-integrated learning…

Modelling of tomato stem diameter growth rate based on physiological responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, L.; Tan, J.; Lv, T.

2017-01-01

The stem diameter is an important parameter describing the growth of tomato plant during vegetative growth stage. A stem diameter growth model was developed to predict the response of plant growth under different conditions. By analyzing the diurnal variations of stem diameter in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), it was found that the stem diameter measured at 3:00 am was the representative value as the daily basis of tomato stem diameter. Based on the responses of growth rate in stem diameter to light and temperature, a linear regression relationship was applied to establish the stem diameter growth rate prediction model for the vegetative growth stage in tomato and which was further validated by experiment. The root mean square error (RMSE) and relative error (RE) were used to test the correlation between measured and modeled stem diameter variations. Results showed that the model can be used in prediction for stem diameter growth rate at vegetative growth stage in tomato. (author)

Elite Youth Soccer Players' Physiological Responses, Time-Motion Characteristics, and Game Performance in 4 vs. 4 Small-Sided Games: The Influence of Coach Feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandes, Mirko; Elvers, Sebastian

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of mild vs. strongly pushed coach feedback on the physiological response, ratio of perceived exertion (RPE), and time-motion characteristics in soccer training with small-sided games (SSGs). Sixteen elite youth soccer players (aged 17.2 ± 0.7 years, V[Combining Dot Above]O2max 62.1 ± 3.8 ml·kg·min) played two 4 vs. 4 small-sided games each. In random order, the coach provided a mild, unobtrusive, or a strongly pushed feedback throughout the game. Physiological measurements included heart rate expressed in mean values and intensity zones, blood lactate concentration, and RPE. The distance traveled, number of sprints, and work:rest ratio were captured by global positioning systems at 5 Hz. Game performance, such as volume of play and efficacy index, was estimated using the Team Sports Assessment Procedure. No differences were found for the physiological response and time-motion characteristics, but effect sizes demonstrated an increase in RPE (+0.4, p = 0.27) and a decrease in game performance (e.g., volume of play, -2.5, p = 0.08) under pushed feedback. Although a pushed feedback raises RPE, it negatively affected the players' game performance, without necessarily provoking higher physiological responses. These results should help coaches to understand that modifying the type of feedback provided during SSG does not impact the physiological response if SSG are already played with high intensity but that the feedback affects RPE and game performance. To keep a better game performance, soccer coaches are encouraged to provide smooth feedback during SSG.

The effect of gamma irradiation on cytological and physiological function of two cultivar of barley

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karbalaii, S.G.; Majd, F.; Fahimii, H.

2005-01-01

Full text: An investigation was performed in cytogenetic lab. of Nuclear Agriculture- Atomic Energy Organization of Iran in 2004-5.In this research the effect of gamma irradiation on cytological and physiological function of two cultivars of barley were examined. For this aim cytological and physiological sensitivity of two cultivars (30109, 30130) were assessed by different gamma radiation doses (50,150,250,350,450 Gy).By cytological studies in addition to defining the karyotype, the rate of chromosomal aberrations due to the effect of irradiation was studied and it was observed that the chromosomal aberrations increased by increasing the rate of irradiation. In 350 and 450 Gy were observed more different forms of chromosomal damage such as ring and dicentric chromosome, deletion and translocation than the other dose. The results showed that by increasing gamma ray dose, the growth rate, root and shoot length of two cultivars were decreased, and germination percentage had no significant difference.This work suggested that the increasing of chromosomal aberrations, so decrease mean value of growth rate. (author)

Simulation of forest growth, applied to douglas fir stands in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mohren, G.M.J.

1987-01-01

Forest growth in relation to weather and soils is studied using a physiological simulation model. Growth potential depends on physiological characteristics of the plant species in combination with ambient weather conditions (mainly temperature and incoming radiation). For a given site, growth may be

Physiological characteristics of an aging Olympic athlete

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nybo, Lars; Schmidt, Jakob Friis; Fritzdorf, Stephen

2014-01-01

To investigate the physiological basis of continued world-class performance of a world-class rower who won medals (3 gold and 2 bronze) at five consecutive Olympic Games.......To investigate the physiological basis of continued world-class performance of a world-class rower who won medals (3 gold and 2 bronze) at five consecutive Olympic Games....

Speed endurance training is a powerful stimulus for physiological adaptations and performance improvements of athletes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iaia, F. M.; Bangsbo, Jens

2010-01-01

the oxidative capacity and improve intense short-duration/repeated high-intensity exercise performance lasting 30 s to 4 min, as it occurs in a number of sports. When combined with a basic volume of training including some aerobic high-intensity sessions, speed endurance training is also useful in enhancing......The present article reviews the physiological and performance effects of speed endurance training consisting of exercise bouts at near maximal intensities in already trained subjects. Despite a reduction in training volume, speed endurance training of endurance-trained athletes can maintain...... performance during longer events, e.g. 40 K cycling and 10 K running. Athletes in team sports involving intense exercise actions and endurance aspects can also benefit from performing speed endurance training. These improvements don't appear to depend on changes in maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max), muscle...

Thermal physiology of native cool-climate, and non-native warm-climate Pumpkinseed sunfish raised in a common environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Rooke, Anna C; Burness, Gary; Fox, Michael G

2017-02-01

Contemporary evolution of thermal physiology has the potential to help limit the physiological stress associated with rapidly changing thermal environments; however it is unclear if wild populations can respond quickly enough for such changes to be effective. We used native Canadian Pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus) sunfish, and non-native Pumpkinseed introduced into the milder climate of Spain ~100 years ago, to assess genetic differences in thermal physiology in response to the warmer non-native climate. We compared temperature performance reaction norms of two Canadian and two Spanish Pumpkinseed populations born and raised within a common environment. We found that Canadian Pumpkinseed had higher routine metabolic rates when measured at seasonally high temperatures (15°C in winter, 30°C in summer), and that Spanish Pumpkinseed had higher critical thermal maxima when acclimated to 30°C in the summer. Growth rates were not significantly different among populations, however Canadian Pumpkinseed tended to have faster growth at the warmest temperatures measured (32°C). The observed differences in physiology among Canadian and Spanish populations at the warmest acclimation temperatures are consistent with the introduced populations being better suited to the warmer non-native climate than native populations. The observed differences could be the result of either founder effects, genetic drift, and/or contemporary adaptive evolution in the warmer non-native climate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics of growing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Animal Science teaching and research farm, Bayero University Kano, to evaluate the effect of feeding graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) in diets on growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics of weaned rabbits. Twenty eight grower rabbits of ...

Germination, growth and physiological responses of Senegalia ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dioumacor FALL

2016-09-14

Sep 14, 2016 ... to that of the total number of seeds in the sample at different salinity levels. Growth ..... therefore to limitations of chlorophyll synthesis. These ... was taken up than Cl. −. , indicating that S. senegal, V. seyal and P. juliflora are an ion accumulators. The strong .... Field Manual for Local Level Land Degradation.

Performance of Jatropha curcas L. in Semi-arid Zone: Seed Germination, Seedling Growth and Early Field Growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharif AHAMAD

2013-05-01

Full Text Available There is a lack of information on basic agronomic properties of Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha cultivation on the marginal lands in the semi-arids. Evaluation of agronomic performance of identified elite strains of J. curcas in marginal lands would be of paramount importance for addressing gap areas in their agronomic properties and subsequently for harnessing their optimum economic potentials. The present study undertook the task of analysing the growth performance of a high oil bearing elite strain of J. curcas–DARL-2 in degraded land in semi-arid zone of Deccan Plateau, India. While undertaking the assessment of growth performance of elite strain DARL-2, two other native (wild strains (namely AHN-1 and AHN-2 of J. curcas were also considered so that a comparative evaluation could be carried out. The role of gypsum was also investigated on J. curcas in the nursery stage as well its carry over effects on growth performance of transplanted trees in the field. Two types of substrates, gypsum-treated soil (GS and untreated soil (SL were used for growing seedlings of all the three jatropha strains. Seedlings (120-days-old of DARL-2 exhibited greater plant height, collar diameter and number of branches but root length was greater in the local strains. In the second year of field transplantation, DARL-2 strain exhibited significantly (p<0.05 greater plant height and number of branches/plant. No carry over effects of gypsum treatment were observed in field transplanted plants as none of the growth parameters significantly varied among the substrate types.

Adding sleep restriction to the equation: impact on wildland firefighters' work performance and physiology in hot conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Grace E; Ferguson, Sally; Larsen, Brianna; Ridgers, Nicola D; Snow, Rod; Aisbett, Brad

2018-04-06

To examine the effects of sleep restriction on firefighters' physical task performance, physical activity, and physiological and perceived exertion during simulated hot wildfire conditions. 31 firefighters were randomly allocated to either the hot (n = 18, HOT; 33 °C, 8-h sleep opportunity) or hot and sleep restricted (n = 13, HOT + SR; 33 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) condition. Intermittent, self-paced work circuits of six firefighting tasks were performed for 3 days. Firefighters self-reported ratings of perceived exertion. Heart rate, core temperature, and physical activity were measured continuously. Fluids were consumed ad libitum, and all food and fluids consumed were recorded. Urine volume and urine specific gravity (USG) were analysed and sleep was assessed using polysomnography (PSG). There were no differences between the HOT and HOT + SR groups in firefighters' physical task performance, heart rate, core temperature, USG, or fluid intake. Ratings of perceived exertion were higher (p HOT + SR group for two of the six firefighting tasks. The HOT group spent approximately 7 min more undertaking moderate physical activity throughout the 2-h work circuits compared to the HOT + SR group. Two nights of sleep restriction did not influence firefighters' physical task performance or physiological responses during 3 days of simulated wildfire suppression. Further research is needed to explore firefighters' pacing strategies during real wildfire suppression.

The Effects of Heat Adaptation on Physiology, Perception and Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Meta-Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyler, Christopher J; Reeve, Tom; Hodges, Gary J; Cheung, Stephen S

2016-11-01

Exercise performance and capacity are impaired in hot, compared to temperate, conditions. Heat adaptation (HA) is one intervention commonly adopted to reduce this impairment because it may induce beneficial exercise performance and physiological and perceptual adaptations. A number of investigations have been conducted on HA but, due to large methodological differences, the effectiveness of different HA regimens remain unclear. (1) To quantify the effect of different HA regimens on exercise performance and the physiological and perceptual responses to subsequent heat exposure. (2) To offer practical HA recommendations and suggestions for future HA research based upon a systematic and quantitative synthesis of the literature. PubMed was searched for original research articles published up to, and including, 16 February 2016 using appropriate first- and second-order search terms. English-language, peer-reviewed, full-text original articles using human participants were reviewed using the four-stage process identified in the PRISMA statement. Data for the following variables were obtained from the manuscripts by at least two of the authors: participant sex, maximal oxygen consumption and age; HA duration, frequency, modality, temperature and humidity; exercise performance and capacity; core and skin temperature; heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, skin blood flow, sweat onset temperature, body mass loss, sweat rate, perception of thirst, volitional fluid consumption, plasma volume changes; sweat concentrations of sodium, chloride and potassium; aldosterone, arginine vasopressin, heat shock proteins (Hsp), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and thermal sensation. Data were divided into three groups based upon the frequency of the HA regimen. Performance and capacity data were also divided into groups based upon the type of HA used. Hedges' g effect sizes and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated. Correlations were run where appropriate. Ninety-six articles

Selecting and optimizing eco-physiological parameters of Biome-BGC to reproduce observed woody and leaf biomass growth of Eucommia ulmoides plantation in China using Dakota optimizer

Science.gov (United States)

Miyauchi, T.; Machimura, T.

2013-12-01

In the simulation using an ecosystem process model, the adjustment of parameters is indispensable for improving the accuracy of prediction. This procedure, however, requires much time and effort for approaching the simulation results to the measurements on models consisting of various ecosystem processes. In this study, we tried to apply a general purpose optimization tool in the parameter optimization of an ecosystem model, and examined its validity by comparing the simulated and measured biomass growth of a woody plantation. A biometric survey of tree biomass growth was performed in 2009 in an 11-year old Eucommia ulmoides plantation in Henan Province, China. Climate of the site was dry temperate. Leaf, above- and below-ground woody biomass were measured from three cut trees and converted into carbon mass per area by measured carbon contents and stem density. Yearly woody biomass growth of the plantation was calculated according to allometric relationships determined by tree ring analysis of seven cut trees. We used Biome-BGC (Thornton, 2002) to reproduce biomass growth of the plantation. Air temperature and humidity from 1981 to 2010 was used as input climate condition. The plant functional type was deciduous broadleaf, and non-optimizing parameters were left default. 11-year long normal simulations were performed following a spin-up run. In order to select optimizing parameters, we analyzed the sensitivity of leaf, above- and below-ground woody biomass to eco-physiological parameters. Following the selection, optimization of parameters was performed by using the Dakota optimizer. Dakota is an optimizer developed by Sandia National Laboratories for providing a systematic and rapid means to obtain optimal designs using simulation based models. As the object function, we calculated the sum of relative errors between simulated and measured leaf, above- and below-ground woody carbon at each of eleven years. In an alternative run, errors at the last year (at the

Lemna minor exposed to fluoranthene: growth, biochemical, physiological and histochemical changes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zezulka, Stěpán; Kummerová, Marie; Babula, Petr; Váňová, Lucie

2013-09-15

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent one of the major groups of organic contaminants in the aquatic environment. Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) is a common aquatic plant widely used in phytotoxicity tests for xenobiotic substances. The goal of this study was to assess the growth and the physiological, biochemical and histochemical changes in duckweed exposed for 4 and 10 days to fluoranthene (FLT, 0.1 and 1 mgL(-1)). Nonsignificant changes in number of plants, biomass production, leaf area size, content of chlorophylls a and b and carotenoids and parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence recorded after 4 and 10 days of exposure to FLT were in contrast with considerable changes at biochemical and histochemical levels. Higher occurrence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) caused by an exposure to FLT after 10 days as compared to control (hydrogen peroxide elevated by 13% in the 0.1 mgL(-1) and by 41% in the 1 mgL(-1) FLT; superoxide anion radical by 52% and 115% respectively) reflected in an increase in the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase by 3% in both treatments, catalase by 9% and 1% respectively, ascorbate peroxidase by 21% and 5% respectively, guaiacol peroxidase by 12% in the 0.1 mgL(-1) FLT). Even the content of antioxidant compounds like ascorbate (by 20% in the 1 mgL(-1) FLT) or total thiols (reduced forms by 15% in the 0.1 mgL(-1) and 8% in the 1 mgL(-1) FLT, oxidized forms by 36% in the 0.1 mgL(-1) FLT) increased. Increased amount of ROS was followed by an increase in malondialdehyde content (by 33% in the 0.1 mgL(-1) and 79% in the 1 mgL(-1) FLT). Whereas in plants treated by the 0.1 mgL(-1) FLT the contents of total proteins and phenols increased by 15% and 25%, respectively, the 1 mgL(-1) FLT caused decrease of their contents by 32% and 7%. Microscopic observations of duckweed roots also confirmed the presence of ROS and related histochemical changes at the cellular and tissue levels. The assessment of phytotoxicity of organic

Physiological Measures of Emotion from a Developmental Perspective: State of the Science

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis, Tracy A.; Buss, Kristin A.; Hastings, Paul D.; Bell, Martha Ann; Diaz, Anjolii; Adam, Emma K.; Miskovic, Vladimir; Schmidt, Louis A.; Feldman, Ruth; Katz, Lynn Fainsilber; Rigterink, Tami; Strang, Nicole M.; Hanson, Jamie L.; Pollak, Seth D.; Dahl, Ronald E.; Silk, Jennifer S.; Siegle, Greg J.; Beauchaine, Theodore P.; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Fox, Nathan A.; Kirwan, Michael; Reeb-Sutherland, Bethany; Gunnar, Megan R.; Obradovic, Jelena; Boyce, W. Thomas; Molenaar, Peter C. M.; Gates, Kathleen M.

2012-01-01

In the past decade, there has been a dramatic growth in research examining the development of emotion from a physiological perspective. However, this widespread use of physiological measures to study emotional development coexists with relatively few guiding principles, thus reducing opportunities to move the field forward in innovative ways. The…

Physiology of Plants, Science (Experimental): 5315.41.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunn, William C.

This unit of instruction deals with the physiological activities of plants. Attention is focused on the principles which underlie the activities of the typical green land plant. Emphasis is placed on biological processes such as photosynthesis, water transport, light responses, mineral nutrition, reproduction, and growth. The prerequisite for…

Physiology, anatomy, and plasticity of the cerebral cortex in relation to musical instrument performance

Science.gov (United States)

Tramo, Mark Jude

2004-05-01

The acquisition and maintenance of fine-motor skills underlying musical instrument performance rely on the development, integration, and plasticity of neural systems localized within specific subregions of the cerebral cortex. Cortical representations of a motor sequence, such as a sequence of finger movements along the keys of a saxophone, take shape before the figure sequence occurs. The temporal pattern and spatial coordinates are computed by networks of neurons before and during the movements. When a finger sequence is practiced over and over, performance gets faster and more accurate, probably because cortical neurons generating the sequence increase in spatial extent, their electrical discharges become more synchronous, or both. By combining experimental methods such as single- and multi-neuron recordings, focal stimulation, microanatomical tracers, gross morphometry, evoked potentials, and functional imaging in humans and nonhuman primates, neuroscientists are gaining insights into the cortical physiology, anatomy, and plasticity of musical instrument performance.

Variation in plant defense suppresses herbivore performance

Science.gov (United States)

Pearse, Ian; Paul, Ryan; Ode, Paul J.

2018-01-01

Defensive variability of crops and natural systems can alter herbivore communities and reduce herbivory. However, it is still unknown how defense variability translates into herbivore suppression. Nonlinear averaging and constraints in physiological tracking (also more generally called time-dependent effects) are the two mechanisms by which defense variability might impact herbivores. We conducted a set of experiments manipulating the mean and variability of a plant defense, showing that defense variability does suppress herbivore performance and that it does so through physiological tracking effects that cannot be explained by nonlinear averaging. While nonlinear averaging predicted higher or the same herbivore performance on a variable defense than on an invariable defense, we show that variability actually decreased herbivore performance and population growth rate. Defense variability reduces herbivore performance in a way that is more than the average of its parts. This is consistent with constraints in physiological matching of detoxification systems for herbivores experiencing variable toxin levels in their diet and represents a more generalizable way of understanding the impacts of variability on herbivory. Increasing defense variability in croplands at a scale encountered by individual herbivores can suppress herbivory, even if that is not anticipated by nonlinear averaging.

Biomonitoring of physiological status and cognitive performance of underway submariners undergoing a novel watch-standing schedule

Science.gov (United States)

Duplessis, C. A.; Cullum, M. E.; Crepeau, L. J.

2005-05-01

Submarine watch-standers adhere to a 6 hour-on, 12 hour-off (6/12) watch-standing schedule, yoking them to an 18-hr day, engendering circadian desynchronization and chronic sleep deprivation. Moreover, the chronic social crowding, shift work, and confinement of submarine life provide additional stressors known to correlate with elevated secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) and cortisol levels, reduced performance, immunologic dysfunction, malignancies, infections, gastrointestinal illness, coronary disease, anxiety, and depression. We evaluated an alternative, compressed, fixed work schedule designed to enhance circadian rhythm entrainment, sleep hygiene, performance, and health on 10 underway submariners, who followed the alternative and 6/12 schedules for approximately 2 weeks each. We measured subjects" sleep, cognitive performance, and salivary biomarker levels. Pilot analysis of the salivary data on one subject utilizing ELISA suggests elevated biomarker levels of stress. Average PM cortisol levels were 0.2 μg/L (normal range: nondetectable - 0.15 μg/L), and mean sIgA levels were 562 μg/ml (normal range: 100-500 μg/ml). Future research exploiting real-time salivary bioassays, via fluorescent polarimetry technology, identified by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a future Naval requirement, allows researchers to address correlations between stress-induced elaboration of salivary biomarkers with physiological and performance decrements, thereby fostering insight into the underway submariner"s psychoimmunological status. This may help identify strategies that enhance resilience to stressors. Specifically, empirically-based modeling can identify optimal watch-standing schedules and stress-mitigating procedures -- within the operational constraints of the submarine milieu and the mission --that foster improved circadian entrainment and reduced stress reactivity, enhancing physiological health, operational performance, safety, and job satisfaction.

Fatality of salt stress to plants: Morphological, physiological and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fatality of salt stress to plants: Morphological, physiological and biochemical aspects. ... This adverse effect of salt stress appears on whole plant level at almost all growth stages including germination, seedling, vegetative ... from 32 Countries:.

Influence of β-galacto-oligosaccharide on growth performance and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

GOS) on growth performance, organ development and intestinal microarchitecture of broilers during heat stress. Day-old chicks (n = 125) were divided into five groups. The control or thermoneutral zone group (TNZ) was raised under standard ...

Colonization with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Promotes the Growth of Morus alba L. Seedlings under Greenhouse Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Lu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Morus alba L. is an important tree species planted widely in China because of its economic value. In this report, we investigated the influence of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF species, Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices, alone and together, on the growth of M. alba L. seedlings under greenhouse conditions. The growth parameters and physiological performance of M. alba L. seedlings were evaluated 90 days after colonization with the fungi. The growth and physiological performance of M. alba L. seedlings were significantly affected by the AMF species. The mycorrhizal seedlings were taller, had longer roots, more leaves and a greater biomass than the non-mycorrhizae-treated seedlings. In addition, the AMF species-inoculated seedlings had increased root activity and a higher chlorophyll content compared to non-inoculated seedlings. Furthermore, AMF species colonization increased the phosphorus and nitrogen contents of the seedlings. In addition, simultaneous root colonization by the two AMF species did not improve the growth of M. alba L. seedlings compared with inoculation with either species alone. Based on these results, these AMF species may be applicable to mulberry seedling cultivation.

The effect of morphological characteristics on the physical and physiological performance of Turkish soccer referees and assistant referees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bozdoğan Tuba Kızılet

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Physical fitness and physiological status play an important role in the referees’ performance. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the body structure and morphological characteristics of Turkish Ssccer refereesand assistant referees and to determine the effect of these variables on physical performance. A sample of 158 male referees and 55 asisstant referees (mean age 31.8 ± 4.2 and 37.4 ± 3.3 yearswas evaluated. Physical assesment were conducted using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIRTL1 and Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA for referees and Active Recovery Intermittent Endurance Test (ARIET and the RSA for assistant referees. We analyzed heart rate assesments. The measures used to assess morphological characteristics were age, weight, body mass index (BMI, body fat (BF, body mass, and fat free mass.The ANOVA test (Tukey testwas used to determine the result. Correlations between the referees’ fitness test performance and their morphological characteristics were examined using Pearson’s correlation (p<0.05. To result of this study, point to the existence of a strong correlation between morphological and physical and physiological characteristics. According to the literature, we found that greater BF and a higher BMI may negatively affect areferee’s running performance.

Growth, development, and nutritional physiology of grasshoppers from subarctic and temperate regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Fielding, Dennis J; Defoliart, Linda S

2007-01-01

Despite the importance of developmental rate, growth rate, and size at maturity in the life history of poikliotherms, the trade-offs among these traits and selection pressures involved in the evolution of these traits are not well understood. This study compared these traits in a grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes F. (Orthoptera: Acrididae), from two contrasting geographical regions, subarctic Alaska and temperate Idaho. The growing season in the interior of Alaska is about 80 d shorter than at low-elevation sites in Idaho. We hypothesized that the Alaskan grasshoppers would show more rapid growth and development than grasshoppers from Idaho, at the cost of greater sensitivity to food quality. On a diet of lettuce and wheat bran, grasshoppers from Alaska developed from egg hatch to adult more rapidly than those from Idaho at each of three different temperature regimes. Averaged over all temperature treatments, the weight of the Alaskan grasshoppers was about 5% less than that of the Idaho grasshoppers at the adult molt. Feeding and digestive efficiencies were determined for the final two instars using two meridic diets: one with a high concentration of nutrients and the other with the same formulation but diluted with cellulose. Alaskan grasshoppers again developed more rapidly, weighed less, and had faster growth rates than those from Idaho. Alaskan grasshoppers supported their more rapid growth by increasing postingestive efficiencies; that is, they had higher conversion rates of digested matter to biomass on the high-quality diet, greater assimilation of food on the low-quality diet, and greater efficiency of nitrogen assimilation or retention on both diets. There was no evidence that performance of Alaskan grasshoppers suffered any more than that of the Idaho grasshoppers on the low-quality diet.

Integrated physiological mechanisms of exercise performance, adaptation, and maladaptation to heat stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawka, Michael N; Leon, Lisa R; Montain, Scott J; Sonna, Larry A

2011-10-01

This article emphasizes significant recent advances regarding heat stress and its impact on exercise performance, adaptations, fluid electrolyte imbalances, and pathophysiology. During exercise-heat stress, the physiological burden of supporting high skin blood flow and high sweating rates can impose considerable cardiovascular strain and initiate a cascade of pathophysiological events leading to heat stroke. We examine the association between heat stress, particularly high skin temperature, on diminishing cardiovascular/aerobic reserves as well as increasing relative intensity and perceptual cues that degrade aerobic exercise performance. We discuss novel systemic (heat acclimation) and cellular (acquired thermal tolerance) adaptations that improve performance in hot and temperate environments and protect organs from heat stroke as well as other dissimilar stresses. We delineate how heat stroke evolves from gut underperfusion/ischemia causing endotoxin release or the release of mitochondrial DNA fragments in response to cell necrosis, to mediate a systemic inflammatory syndrome inducing coagulopathies, immune dysfunction, cytokine modulation, and multiorgan damage and failure. We discuss how an inflammatory response that induces simultaneous fever and/or prior exposure to a pathogen (e.g., viral infection) that deactivates molecular protective mechanisms interacts synergistically with the hyperthermia of exercise to perhaps explain heat stroke cases reported in low-risk populations performing routine activities. Importantly, we question the "traditional" notion that high core temperature is the critical mediator of exercise performance degradation and heat stroke. Published 2011. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Physiological and biochemical constituents as predictive appreciation for selection of drought tolerant cultivars in wheat (triticum aestivum L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalal-ud-Din; Khan, S.U.; Gurmani, A.R.

2012-01-01

A pot study was undertaken to assess the effect of drought stress imposed at various growth stages on growth, physiological and biochemical attributes of wheat. Five commercial wheat cultivars viz. Chakwal-97, Inqalab-91, Margalla-99, NR-234 and Wafaq-2001 were grown in pots. The plants were subjected to three consecutive drought cycles at tillering, pre-anthesis and milky growth stages. Measurements pertaining to various physiological and biochemical parameters such as relative water content (RWC), proline, superoxide dismutase (SOD), membrane stability index (MSI), yield and yield components were made. Significant reduction in grain yield was observed in all the test varieties when drought was imposed at any growth stage. The reduction was highest (39-64%) when stress was imposed at pre-anthesis followed by tillering growth stage. The wheat variety Wafaq-2001 and Inqalab-91 performed better by giving higher yield and produced greater numbers of filled seeds per spike compared to other varieties. Under water stress proline contents were higher in the drought-tolerant cultivar Wafaq-2001. The same variety showed higher membrane stability index and antioxidant enzymes (SOD) activity under drought stress conditions. The results suggest that pre-anthesis growth stage is the most sensitive towards drought stress. Wheat cultivars: Wafaq-2001 and Inqalab-91 showed best tolerance response against drought stress. Higher proline, RWC and SOD activity under drought stress seems to be the most reliable parameters enabling the discrimination of varieties for drought tolerance. (author)

Growth performance and economics of sheep production with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A twelve-week feeding trial was conducted using sixteen (16) growing Uda lambs to determine the growth performance of sheep fed varying levels of rice milling waste. Diets containing graded levels of rice milling waste replacing wheat offal at 15, 30 and 45% inclusion levels were formulated. Diet without rice milling waste ...

Non-genetic factors affecting growth performance and carcass ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

South African Journal of Animal Science ... This study was based on 20 079 and 12 169 growth and 5 406 and 2 533 carcass data collected on performance tested pigs between 1990 and 2008 from Large White and Landrace breeds ... Herd of origin, year of testing and their interaction significantly affected all traits.

The effects of swimming exercise and dissolved oxygen on growth performance, fin condition and precocious maturation of early-rearing Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

Science.gov (United States)

Waldrop, Thomas; Summerfelt, Steven T.; Mazik, Patricia M.; Good, Christopher

2018-01-01

Swimming exercise, typically measured in body-lengths per second (BL/s), and dissolved oxygen (DO), are important environmental variables in fish culture. While there is an obvious physiological association between these two parameters, their interaction has not been adequately studied in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Because exercise and DO are variables that can be easily manipulated in modern aquaculture systems, we sought to assess the impact of these parameters, alone and in combination, on the performance, health and welfare of juvenile Atlantic salmon. In our study, Atlantic salmon fry were stocked into 12 circular 0.5 m3 tanks in a flow-through system and exposed to either high (1.5–2 BL/s) or low (salmon early rearing can result in improved growth performance and a lower incidence of precocious parr.

Physiological basis for allelopathic potential of different wheat ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Meanwhile, allelopathic potential was also enhanced. It was explained well by physiological basis of fluorescence kinetics. Fm' and F was induced to increase, furthermore, photosynthesis system PSII would be expressed superiorly under arid press. Significant relationship among growth traits, florescence kinetics and ...

Left Ventricular Function and Physiological Performance in Female Ironman Athletes and Female Police Officers.

Science.gov (United States)

Leischik, Roman; Foshag, Peter; Strauss, Markus; Spelsberg, Norman

2016-06-01

Data about physiological performance of female ironman triathletes are rare. However, some studies have reported this endurance sport may cause damage to the right or left ventricles, even in females. The goal of this study was to assess prospectively the right/left ventricular function and physiological performance in female athletes (middle- and long ironman distance) and to compare the findings to female federal police officers. A total of 33 female triathletes and 37 female police officers were examined using spiro-ergometry and echocardiography. Female triathletes achieved VO2max 52.8 ± 5.7 ml/kg(-1)·min(-1), and police officers 35.3 ± 6.5 ml/kg(-1)·min(-1) In athletes, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was 4.4 ± 0.3 cm and in police officers 4.5 ± 0.4 cm, and the left ventricular muscle mass index was 85.8 g/m(2 )± 18.7 in athletes and in police officers 72.0 g/m(2 )± 9.1. Right ventricular area change among athletes was 49.4 ± 8.5%, and in police officers 46.0 ± 6.9%. The performance date of female triathletes can be used as training prescription for leisure female triathletes, when middle or long distances in triathlon competitions are planned. No right or left ventricular dysfunction was found despite long training and finishing of long distance competitions: non-elite athletes, 5.4 ± 2.8 years of triathlon competitions; elite athletes, 7.6 ± 5.8 years. © The Author(s) 2016.

The fate of glyphosate in water hyacinth and its physiological and biochemical influences on growth of algae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Baolong.

1989-01-01

Absorption, translocation, distribution, exudation, and guttation of 14 C-glyphosate in water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) were studied. Glyphosphate entered the plant by foliage and solution treatment. Plants were harvested and separated into the following parts: treated leaf blade, treated leaf petiole, young leaf blade, young leaf petiole, old leak blade, old leaf petiole, and root. Each part was extracted with methanol. Treated leaves, which exist only in foliage treatment, were washed with water and chloroform to remove the glyphosate residues. All 14 C counting was made by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Autoradiography was used to locate 14 C-glyphosate after foliage treatment. Results indicated that glyphosate can be absorbed from the leaf surface and translocated rapidly through phloem tissues into the whole plant body. The roots of water hyacinth absorbed glyphosate without vertical transport. Guttation of glyphosate occurred in treated leaf tips. Exudation of glyphosate from roots of water hyacinth occurred within 8 hr after foliage treatment. Chlorella vulgaris, Chlamydomonas reihardii, Anabaena cylindrica, and Chroococcus turgidus were used to explore the physiological and biochemical effects of glyphosate on algae. Spectrophotometric assays were performed for algal growth, chlorophyll, carotenoids, phycobiliprotein, carbohydrate, and protein. TLC procedures and an image analyzer were used to detect the metabolites of glyphosate inside algal cells. The common visible symptom of glyphosate toxicity in all algal cells were bleaching effect and reduction of contents of carbohydrate, protein, and pigments. The results highly suggested that glyphosate injured the algal cells by destruction of photosynthetic pigments and resulted in lowering the contents of carbohydrate and protein in algal cells

Does academic performance or personal growth share a stronger association with learning environment perception?

Science.gov (United States)

Tackett, Sean; Wright, Scott M.; Shochet, Robert S.

2016-01-01

Objectives This study was conducted to characterize the relative strength of associations of learning environment perception with academic performance and with personal growth. Methods In 2012-2014 second and third year students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine completed a learning environment survey and personal growth scale. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was employed to determine if the proportion of variance in learning environment scores accounted for by personal growth was significantly larger than the proportion accounted for by academic performance (course/clerkship grades). Results The proportion of variance in learning environment scores accounted for by personal growth was larger than the proportion accounted for by academic performance in year 2 [R2Δ of 0.09, F(1,175) = 14.99,  p environment scores shared a small amount of variance with academic performance in years 2 and 3.  The amount of variance between learning environment scores and personal growth was small in year 2 and large in year 3. Conclusions Since supportive learning environments are essential for medical education, future work must determine if enhancing personal growth prior to and during the clerkship year will increase learning environment perception. PMID:27570912

Changes in serum concentrations of growth hormone, insulin, insulin-like growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins 1 and 3 and urinary growth hormone excretion during the menstrual cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, A; Scheike, Thomas Harder; Pedersen, A T

1997-01-01

Few studies exist on the physiological changes in the concentrations of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) within the menstrual cycle, and some controversy remains. We therefore decided to study the impact of endogenous sex steroids on the GH-I...

Changes in serum concentrations of growth hormone, insulin, insulin-like growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins 1 and 3 and urinary growth hormone excretion during the menstrual cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juul, A; Scheike, Thomas Harder; Pedersen, A T

1997-01-01

Few studies exist on the physiological changes in the concentrations of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factors (IGF) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP) within the menstrual cycle, and some controversy remains. We therefore decided to study the impact of endogenous sex steroids on the GH......-IGF-IGFBP axis during the ovulatory menstrual cycle in 10 healthy women (aged 18-40 years). Blood sampling and urinary collection was performed every morning at 0800 h for 32 consecutive days. Every second day the subjects were fasted overnight before blood sampling. Follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing...... hormone (LH), oestradiol, progesterone, IGF-I, IGFBP-3, sex hormone-binding globulin, dihydroepiandrosterone sulphate and GH were determined in all samples, whereas insulin and IGFBP-1 were determined in fasted samples only. Serum IGF-I concentrations showed some fluctuation during the menstrual cycle...

Effects of different housing systems on growth performance and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of different housing systems on growth performance and carcass yield of two breeds of turkey. ... Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa ... The results on carcass yield showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher plucked weight ...

A Multi-Disciplinary Examination of Psycho-Physiological Performance Among Youth and Junior Ball Sport Athletes: A Systematic Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

József Márton Pucsok

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives The primary purpose of our review was to systematically review the evolution of psycho-physiological performance analysis. Our secondary aim was to investigate the role of specific, multi-disciplinary performance indicators to identify future talents in the sport of soccer, handball and basketball. Methods A review protocol was set up in order to avoid individual bias and ensure an efficient searching prodedure. This enabled a search strategy to define which literature was to be included or excluded from our research. Certain inclusion criteria were identified, before performing a search using three electronic databases (Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar and reference lists for English-language articles, published from the year 1980 till 2017. Results The comprehensive search yielded 82 documents to be relevant to our purpose of the study, according to our inclusion criteria criteria, 58 were fully-reviewed and referred to in our study. As we previously expected, the review of related literature resulted investigations involving mostly soccer and basketball players, studies conducted on handball players are significantly fewer. The majority of those studies examined physical performance characteristics via various field test. Conclusions We concluded that further analysis is necessary to identify relevant psycho-physiological performance indicators, in order to properly enhance sports performance in the younger athlete population and in general too. Vienna Test System protocols may offer a great potential to provide valuable information for athletes and their coaches to enhance athletic performance. Future research should focus on specifically identify Vienna Test System test protocols that may be linked to each particular sport.

Growth assessment in diagnosis of Fetal Growth Restriction. Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Albu, A R; Horhoianu, I A; Dumitrascu, M C; Horhoianu, V

2014-06-15

The assessment of fetal growth represents a fundamental step towards the identification of the true growth restricted fetus that is associated to important perinatal morbidity and mortality. The possible ways of detecting abnormal fetal growth are taken into consideration in this review and their strong and weak points are discussed. An important debate still remains about how to discriminate between the physiologically small fetus that does not require special surveillance and the truly growth restricted fetus who is predisposed to perinatal complications, even if its parameters are above the cut-off limits established. In this article, we present the clinical tools of fetal growth assessment: Symphyseal-Fundal Height (SFH) measurement, the fetal ultrasound parameters widely taken into consideration when discussing fetal growth: Abdominal Circumference (AC) and Estimated Fetal Weight (EFW); several types of growth charts and their characteristics: populational growth charts, standard growth charts, individualized growth charts, customized growth charts and growth trajectories.

Hatching system and time effects on broiler physiology and posthatch growth

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ven, van de L.J.F.; Wagenberg, van A.V.; Debonne, M.; Decuypere, E.; Kemp, B.; Brand, van den H.

2011-01-01

A multilevel housing system for broilers was developed, named Patio (Vencomatic BV, Eersel, the Netherlands), in which the hatching and brooding phase are combined. In a Patio system, climate conditions differ from those provided in the hatchers currently in use. We compared the physiology of

Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players.

Science.gov (United States)

Allisse, Maxime; Sercia, Pierre; Comtois, Alain-Steve; Leone, Mario

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the evolution of morphological, physiological and skating performance profiles of elite age-group ice hockey players based on repeated measures spread over one season. In addition, the results of fitness tests and training programs performed in off-ice conditions and their relationship with skating performance were analyzed. Eighteen high level age-group ice hockey players (13.1 ± 0.6 years) were assessed off and on-ice at the beginning and at the end of the hockey season. A third evaluation was also conducted at the beginning of the following hockey season. The players were taller, heavier, and showed bone breadths and muscle girths above the reference population of the same age. Muscular variables improved significantly during and between the two hockey seasons (p skating performance tests exhibited significant enhancements during the hockey season, but not during the off-season where some degradation was observed. Finally, weak observed variances (generally skating performance tests indicated important gaps, both in the choice of the off-ice assessment tools as well as in training methods conventionally used. The reflection on the best way to assess and train hockey players certainly deserves to be continued.

Essays on predictability of emerging markets growth and financial performance

OpenAIRE

Banegas, Maria Ayelen

2011-01-01

This dissertation seeks to better understand the underlying factors driving financial performance and economic activity in international markets. The first chapter "Predictability of Growth in Emerging Markets: Information in Financial Aggregates" tests for predictability of output growth in a panel of twenty-two emerging market economies. I use pooled panel data methods that control for endogeneity and persistence in the predictor variables to test the predictive power of a large set of fina...

Variation in antioxidant enzyme activities, growth and some physiological parameters of bitter melon (Momordica charantia) under salinity and chromium stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrami, Mahsa; Heidari, Mostafa; Ghorbani, Hadi

2016-07-01

In general, salinity and heavy metals interfere with several physiological processes and reduce plant growth. In order to evaluate of three levels of salinity (0, 4 and 8 ds m(-1)) and three concentration of chromium (0, 10 and 20 mg kg(-1) soil) in bitter melon (Momordica charantia), a plot experiment was conducted in greenhouse at university of Shahrood, Iran. The results revealed that chromium treatment had no significant affect on fresh and dry weight, but salinity caused reduction of fresh and dry weight in growth parameter. Salinity and chromium enhanced antioxidant enzymes activities like catalase (CAT), guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) and sodium content in leaves. However salinity and chromium treatments had no effect on potassium, phosphorus in leaves, soluble carbohydrate concentration in leaves and root, but decreased the carotenoid content in leaves. On increasing salinity from control to 8 ds m(-1) chlorophyll a, b and anthocyanin content decreased by 41.6%, 61.1% and 26.5% respectively but chromium treatments had no significant effect on these photosynthetic pigments.

Physiological integration affects growth form and competitive ability in clonal plants

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herben, Tomáš

2004-01-01

Roč. 18, - (2004), s. 493-520 ISSN 0269-7653 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA206/02/0953 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6005908 Keywords : competitive ability * Physiological integration * clonal plants Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 3.215, year: 2004

Influence of prior intense exercise and cold water immersion in recovery for performance and physiological response during subsequent exercise

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Peter Møller; Bangsbo, Jens

2016-01-01

) and the influence from prior intense exercise on subsequent performance and physiological response to moderate and maximal exercise with and without the use of cold water immersion (CWI) in recovery (part B). In part A, performance times during eight World championships for male track cyclists were extracted from...... min preceded by an identical warm-up period in both a control setting (CON) and using cold water immersion in recovery (CWI; 15 min at 15°C). Performance was lowered (P

A Review of Plant Growth Substances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.A. Agboola

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Plant growth substances are compounds, either natural or synthetic that modifies or controls through physiological action, the growth and maturation of plants. If the compound is produced within the plant, it is called a plant hormone or phytohormone. In general, it is accepted that there are five major classes of plant hormones. They are Auxins (IAA, Cytokinins, Gibberellins, Ethylene and Abscisic Acid. However, there are still many plant growth substances that cannot be grouped under these classes, though they also perform similar functions, inhibiting or promoting plant growth. These substances include Brassinosteroids (Brassins, Salicylic Acid, Jasmonic Acid, Fusicoccin, Batasins, Strigolactones, Growth stimulants (e.g. Hymexazol and Pyripropanol, Defoliants (e.g. Calcium Cyanamide, Dimethipin. Researchers are still working on the biosynthetic pathways of some of these substances. Plant growth substances are very useful in agriculture in both low and high concentrations. They affect seed growth, time of flowering, the sex of flowers, senescence of leaves and fruits, leaf formation, stem growth, fruit development and ripening, plant longevity, and even plant death. Some synthetic regulators are also used as herbicides and pesticides. Therefore, attention should be paid to the production and synthesis of these substances so that they affect plants in a way that would favour yield.

The Physiology of Microbial Symbionts in Fungus-Farming Termites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rodrigues da Costa, Rafael

. The termites provide the fungus with optimal growth conditions (e.g., stable temperature and humidity), as well as with constant inoculation of growth substrate and protection against alien fungi. In reward, the fungus provides the termites with a protein-rich fungal biomass based diet. In addition...... with their symbionts are main decomposer of organic matter in Africa, and this is reflect of a metabolic complementarity to decompose plant biomass in the genome of the three organisms involved in this symbiosis. Many of the physiological aspects of this symbiosis remain obscure, and here I focus on physiology...... of microbial symbionts associated with fungus-growing termites. Firstly, by using a set of enzyme assays, plant biomass compositional analyses, and RNA sequencing we gained deeper understanding on what enzymes are produced and active at different times of the decomposition process. Our results show that enzyme...

The effect of chronic feeding of diacetoxyscirpenol and T-2 toxin on performance, health, small intestinal physiology and antibody production in turkey poults.

Science.gov (United States)

Sklan, D; Shelly, M; Makovsky, B; Geyra, A; Klipper, E; Friedman, A

2003-03-01

1. The effects of feeding T-2 toxin or diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) at levels up to 1 ppm for 32 d on performance, health, small intestinal physiology and immune response to enteral and parenteral immunisation were examined in young poults. 2. Slight improvement in growth was observed in some groups of poults fed T-2 or DAS mycotoxins for 32 d, with no change in feed efficiency. Feeding both T-2 and DAS resulted in oral lesions which had maximal severity after 7-15 d. 3. Mild intestinal changes were observed at 32 d but no pathological or histopathological lesions were found. Both mycotoxins altered small intestinal morphology, especially in the jejunum where villi were shorter and thinner. In addition, both DAS and T-2 mycotoxins enhanced the proportion of proliferating cells both in the crypts and along the villi. Migration rates were reduced in the jejunum of poults fed T-2 toxin but did not change in the duodenum or in poults fed DAS. 4. No significant effects of T-2 or DAS were observed on antibody production to antigens administered by enteral or parenteral routes. 5. This study indicates that tricothecene toxins at concentrations of up to 1 ppm for more than 30 d influenced small intestinal morphology but did not affect growth or antibody production.

Academic Performance in Human Anatomy and Physiology Classes: A 2-Yr Study of Academic Motivation and Grade Expectation

Science.gov (United States)

Sturges, Diana; Maurer, Trent W.; Allen, Deborah; Gatch, Delena Bell; Shankar, Padmini

2016-01-01

This project used a nonexperimental design with a convenience sample and studied the relationship between academic motivation, grade expectation, and academic performance in 1,210 students enrolled in undergraduate human anatomy and physiology (HAP) classes over a 2-yr period. A 42-item survey that included 28 items of the adapted academic…

Human factors estimation methods using physiological informations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takano, Ken-ichi; Yoshino, Kenji; Nakasa, Hiroyasu

1984-01-01

To enhance the operational safety in the nuclear power plant, it is necessary to decrease abnormal phenomena due to human errors. Especially, it is essential to basically understand human behaviors under the work environment for plant maintenance workers, inspectors, and operators. On the above stand point, this paper presents the results of literature survey on the present status of human factors engineering technology applicable to the nuclear power plant and also discussed the following items: (1) Application fields where the ergonomical evaluation is needed for workers safety. (2) Basic methodology for investigating the human performance. (3) Features of the physiological information analysis among various types of ergonomical techniques. (4) Necessary conditions for the application of in-situ physiological measurement to the nuclear power plant. (5) Availability of the physiological information analysis. (6) Effectiveness of the human factors engineering methodology, especially physiological information analysis in the case of application to the nuclear power plant. The above discussions lead to the demonstration of high applicability of the physiological information analysis to nuclear power plant, in order to improve the work performance. (author)

Space Physiology within an Exercise Physiology Curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Jason R.; West, John B.

2013-01-01

Compare and contrast strategies remain common pedagogical practices within physiological education. With the support of an American Physiological Society Teaching Career Enhancement Award, we have developed a junior- or senior-level undergraduate curriculum for exercise physiology that compares and contrasts the physiological adaptations of…

Effect of oral administration of probiotics on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility and stress-related indicators in Holstein calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, R; Zhou, M; Tu, Y; Zhang, N F; Deng, K D; Ma, T; Diao, Q Y

2016-02-01

This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility and stress-related indicators in dairy calves. Twenty-four neonatal Holstein calves were randomly allocated to three treatments: a basal diet with no supplementation (control), the basal diet supplemented with 1.7 × 10(10) CFU per head per day (CFU/h.d) of L. plantarum GF103 (LB group) or the basal diet supplemented with a mixture of L. plantarum GF103 (1.7 × 10(10) CFU/h.d) and B. subtilis B27 (1.7 × 10(8) CFU/h.d) (LBS group). Dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversation ratio (FCR), apparent digestibility of nutrients and stress-related indicators were measured in this trail. The result indicated that no significant differences were observed in DMI or ADG (p > 0.05), but the FCR was improved in the LB group over the first 12 weeks (p > 0.05). The apparent digestibility of nutrients was not altered by probiotics in week 6 (p > 0.05), but the apparent digestibility of total phosphorus was significantly greater in the LB and LBS groups in week 8 (p > 0.05); additionally, an increase in the apparent digestibility of crude protein was detected in the LBS group (p > 0.05). Oral administration of L. plantarum alone improved the T-lymphocyte transformation rate on days 58 and 62 (p > 0.05), while adding the mixture of L. plantarum and B. subtilis increased the T-lymphocyte transformation rate (p > 0.05) but decreased the content of cortisol on day 58 (p > 0.05). No significant differences were detected between the LB and LBS groups in growth performance, apparent digestibility of nutrients and stress-related indicators (p > 0.05). The results suggested that oral administration of L. plantarum improved growth performance, nutrient digestibility and relieved weaning stress in calves, but no additional effect was obtained by supplementation with B. subtilis. Journal of

Effects of salt stress on growth and physiological characteristics of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cuttings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, C.; Yan, M.; Huang, X.; Yuan, Z.

2018-01-01

With 2-years-old pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cv. 'Tunisia' cuttings as materials, the growth properties, salt injury indexes, leaf membrane permeability, Chlorophyll (Chl) content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, proline and soluble protein content, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) were investigated under different NaCl concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6%, w/w) treatments after 7, 21 and 35 days. The results showed that: the height and ground diameter of pomegranate were increased at low salinity (0.1%), and they were significantly inhibited at high salinity (= 0.5%). With increased NaCl concentrations, Chl a, Chl b, and Chl (a + b) contents were decreased and chlorophyll a/b were increased. Leaf membrane permeability was seriously enhanced and the amount of MDA was markedly increased at high salinity (= 0.5%). The proline and soluble protein were significantly accumulated and quickly responded to NaCl stress. The activities of SOD, CAT, and POD showed a trend of first rising and then decreasing, with the maximum appearing at 0.4% salinity. In addition, the adverse effects on these physiological indexes aggravated gradually over time. Our study suggested that pomegranate 'Tunisi' was a moderately salt tolerant cultivar (0.4% NaCl) with a promoting effect on the growth below 0.1% salinity. This cultivar presents a mechanism of alleviating the detrimental effects of salt stress through improving the proline content, soluble protein content and the activities of antioxidant enzymes. But the protections of antioxidant enzymes are in a limited range of salinity. (author)

Effects of various stocking density on productive performance and some physiological traits of broiler chicks

OpenAIRE

Ihsan T. Tayeb,; Siamand Nizar Hassan,; Merkhan M. Mustafa,; Shawkat Abdulrazaq M. Sadeq,; Gulizar Issa Ameen,; Asia Mohamed Hassan

2011-01-01

This experiment was carried out as a survey at the commercial poultry farm of broiler chickens in Duhok region namely Amedy, Akry and Sumail in order to study the effect of stocking density on the chick performance and some physiological traits. Chicks were divided into three stocking densities namely 8.66, 10.41 and 13.36 birds/m². The results obtained are summarized as follows: Live body weights and feed conversion ratio at 7 weeks of age were non significant differences between different s...

Variation in relative growth rate and growth traits in wild and cultivated Capsicum accessions grown under different temperatures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Swart, de E.A.M.; Marcelis, L.F.M.; Voorrips, R.E.

2006-01-01

Differences in environmental conditions are known to influence plant growth and growth-related traits. The aim of this study was to identify the variation in relative growth rate (RGR), and its underlying physiological and morphological traits, in a group of ten wild and cultivated Capsicum

Growth performance and nutrient quality of three Moringa oleifera ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Growth performance and nutrient quality of three Moringa oleifera accessions grown as potherbs under varied manure rates and watering intervals were investigated at the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The treatments included three accessions of Moringa (Awo-Anaekpa, Idere and Kano), ...

Evaluation of Growth Performance of Tomato in Response to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sunusi

ABSTRACT. Field experiment was conducted in 2013 and 2014 to evaluate growth performance of two tomato genotypes in response to biochar application and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculation at the. Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. The experiment was laid out.

Physiologic stress interventions in cardiac imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buda, A.J.

1985-01-01

Physiologic stress interventions are designed to assess the reserve capability of coronary flow and myocardial function. In the normal individual, a sufficiently intense physiologic stress may increase coronary flow and cardiac output by 500% to 600%. However, in patients with cardiac disease, these reserve responses may be absent, or considerably blunted. Thus, physiologic stress testing has proved extremely helpful in detecting cardiac abnormalities when resting cardiac function appears normal. Although dynamic exercise remains the standard approach to physiologic stress testing, a number of other interventions have been used, including: (1) isometric exercise, (2) atrial pacing, (3) cold pressor testing, (4) postextrasystolic potentiation, (5) volume loading, and (6) negative intrathoracic pressure. Each of these may be considered an alternative physiologic intervention whenever dynamic exercise is not feasible. These alternative approaches are important since, in our experience, 20% to 30% of subjects are unable to perform dynamic exercise, or exercise inadequately to produce a sufficiently intense cardiac stress. This chapter reviews physiologic considerations, indications, contraindications, protocols, and results of these physiologic stress interventions when used in combination with cardiac radionuclide procedures

The growth performance of F1 transgenic mutiara catfish

Science.gov (United States)

Iskandar; Buwono, I. D.; Agung, M. U. K.

2018-04-01

The growth of catfish (African or Sangkuriang strain) these days is tend to decreased. One of the solutions due to this problem is to improve the genetics of growth using transgenesis technology, toward more profitable. The specific objective of the research is to detect the transmission of exogenous GH (African catfish GH inserts) inside the F1 transgenic Mutiara catfish using PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method and to evaluate the growth performance of transgenic Mutiara catfish made using the parameters of feed conversion (FCR = Feed Conversion Ratio). Transgenic catfish (strain mutiara) F0 and F1 carried African catfish GH (600 bp) can be produced. Superiority characters of transgenic catfish represented heritability (h2 ) and heterosis (H), indicating that the offspring of hybrid F1 transgenic mutiara catfish had phenotypes rapid growth (h2 = 17.55 % and H = 42.83 %) compared to non-transgenic catfish (h 2 = 10.07 % and H = 18.56 %). Evaluation of the efficiency of feed use parameters feed conversion ratio, shows that F1 transgenic mutiara catfish (FCR = 0.85) more efficient in converting feed into meat.

Do Targeted Written Comments and the Rubric Method of Delivery Affect Performance on Future Human Physiology Laboratory Reports?

Science.gov (United States)

Clayton, Zachary S.; Wilds, Gabriel P.; Mangum, Joshua E.; Hocker, Austin D.; Dawson, Sierra M.

2016-01-01

We investigated how students performed on weekly two-page laboratory reports based on whether the grading rubric was provided to the student electronically or in paper form and the inclusion of one- to two-sentence targeted comments. Subjects were registered for a 289-student, third-year human physiology class with laboratory and were randomized…

Light and soil humidity influencing oak seedling growth and physiology in mixed hardwood gaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raddi S

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In “S. Rossore, Migliarino, Massaciuccoli” Natural Park (Pisa, I six-month-old pedunculate oak seedlings (Quercus robur L. were transplanted within natural gaps of a mixed oak forest. Micro-environmental variability for radiation and water soil content were measured for 145 seedlings during the year. Irradiation relative to the open field (IR ranged from 5% to 57%. Seven classes of IR each with 20 seedlings were selected. Leaf mass per area was strongly influenced by IR. In the first 3 years survival was high (95, 76 and 75%, respectively and seedling reached 14±6 cm, 27±13 cm and 39±19 (sd cm of height. Even if IR and soil water content (SWC were negatively associated, indicating a lower SWC at the centre of the gaps, height and its relative growth rate increased with IR (explored range: 8-40% with a significant interaction with SWC in the 1st year, indicating the positive effect of soil moisture. In the 3rd year dimensional traits were higher in L+W+ (high light and humidity followed by L-W+ (low light and high humidity, L+W- and finally by L-W-. Summer drought typical of the Mediterranean climate was evaluated by chlorophyll fluorescence of PSII on apical leaves of seedlings and mature trees at the beginning (21 June and in mid-summer (20 July. While in June physiological traits did not differ between low and high IR, in mid-summer (at the peak of water-stress seedlings of the two highest light classes showed chronic photoinhibition (Fv/Fm<0.75 and an increase in thermal dissipation (D by constitutive term (Dc=1-Fv/Fm and by regulated mechanisms of dissipation through xanthophyll-cycle term (Dx. Moreover, in July seedling leaf physiology largely differed with IR: leaves acclimated to high IR have higher photosynthetic potentialities, as shown by electron transport rate (ETR and quantum yield (P at saturating light maintained by an increase of the fraction of open reaction centres (qP, counterbalancing the efficiency decrease of the

Increased Interest in Physiology and Science among Adolescents after Presentations and Activities Administered by Undergraduate Physiology Students

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva de Vargas, Liane; Rosa de Menezes, Jefferson; Billig Mello-Carpes, Pâmela

2016-01-01

In this article, the authors describe a set of activities performed in south Brazil that are aligned with the objectives of PhUn Week and promote the integration between universities and public schools and the dissemination of knowledge of physiology. To achieve this goal, the authors adopted a program in which undergraduate physiology students…

Physiological and Agronomic Performance of the Coffee Crop in the Context of Climate Change and Global Warming: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

DaMatta, Fábio M; Avila, Rodrigo T; Cardoso, Amanda A; Martins, Samuel C V; Ramalho, José C

2018-05-30

Coffee is one of the most important global crops and provides a livelihood to millions of people living in developing countries. Coffee species have been described as being highly sensitive to climate change, as largely deduced from modeling studies based on predictions of rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns. Here, we discuss the physiological responses of the coffee tree in the context of present and ongoing climate changes, including drought, heat, and light stresses, and interactions between these factors. We also summarize recent insights on the physiological and agronomic performance of coffee at elevated atmospheric CO 2 concentrations and highlight the key role of CO 2 in mitigating the harmful effects of heat stress. Evidence is shown suggesting that warming, per se, may be less harmful to coffee suitability than previously estimated, at least under the conditions of an adequate water supply. Finally, we discuss several mitigation strategies to improve crop performance in a changing world.

Molecular Physiology of Root System Architecture in Model Grasses

Science.gov (United States)

Hixson, K.; Ahkami, A. H.; Anderton, C.; Veličković, D.; Myers, G. L.; Chrisler, W.; Lindenmaier, R.; Fang, Y.; Yabusaki, S.; Rosnow, J. J.; Farris, Y.; Khan, N. E.; Bernstein, H. C.; Jansson, C.

2017-12-01

Unraveling the molecular and physiological mechanisms involved in responses of Root System Architecture (RSA) to abiotic stresses and shifts in microbiome structure is critical to understand and engineer plant-microbe-soil interactions in the rhizosphere. In this study, accessions of Brachypodium distachyon Bd21 (C3 model grass) and Setaria viridis A10.1 (C4 model grass) were grown in phytotron chambers under current and elevated CO2 levels. Detailed growth stage-based phenotypic analysis revealed different above- and below-ground morphological and physiological responses in C3 and C4 grasses to enhanced CO2 levels. Based on our preliminary results and by screening values of total biomass, water use efficiency, root to shoot ratio, RSA parameters and net assimilation rates, we postulated a three-phase physiological mechanism, i.e. RootPlus, BiomassPlus and YieldPlus phases, for grass growth under elevated CO2 conditions. Moreover, this comprehensive set of morphological and process-based observations are currently in use to develop, test, and calibrate biophysical whole-plant models and in particular to simulate leaf-level photosynthesis at various developmental stages of C3 and C4 using the model BioCro. To further link the observed phenotypic traits at the organismal level to tissue and molecular levels, and to spatially resolve the origin and fate of key metabolites involved in primary carbohydrate metabolism in different root sections, we complement root phenotypic observations with spatial metabolomics data using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) methods. Focusing on plant-microbe interactions in the rhizosphere, six bacterial strains with plant growth promoting features are currently in use in both gel-based and soil systems to screen root growth and development in Brachypodium. Using confocal microscopy, GFP-tagged bacterial systems are utilized to study the initiation of different root types of RSA, including primary root (PR), coleoptile node axile root (CNR

Growth hormone deficiency in children and young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Oświęcimska, Joanna; Roczniak, Wojciech; Mikołajczak, Agata; Szymlak, Agnieszka

2016-09-13

Growth hormone (GH) is a naturally occurring polypeptide hormone produced by somatotropic cells in the anterior pituitary. The main function of somatotropin is stimulation of linear growth, but it also affects carbohydrate metabolism, increases bone mass and has potent lipolytic, antinatriuretic and antidiuretic effects. Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) may occur both in children and in adults. At the moment there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of GHD, and the diagnosis should take into account clinical, auxological, biochemical and radiological changes and, if necessary, genetic testing. Recent studies have highlighted that the biochemical diagnosis of GH deficiency is still imperfect. Stimuli used in the tests are non-physiological, and various substances are characterized by a different mechanism of action and potency. A few years ago it was thought that GHD treatment in children must be completed at the end of linear growth. Studies performed in the last two decades have shown that GHD deficiency in adults may result in complex clinical problems, and if untreated shortens the life expectancy and worsens its comfort. Discontinuation of GH therapy after the final height has been reached in fact negatively impacts the physiological processes associated with the transition phase, which is the period of human life between achieving the final height and 25-30 years of age. Given the adverse metabolic effects of GH treatment interruption after linear growth has been completed, the latest recommendations propose reassessment of GH secretion in the period at least one month after cessation of treatment and continuation of the therapy in case of persistent deficit.

Growth hormone deficiency in children and young adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Oświęcimska

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Growth hormone (GH is a naturally occurring polypeptide hormone produced by somatotropic cells in the anterior pituitary. The main function of somatotropin is stimulation of linear growth, but it also affects carbohydrate metabolism, increases bone mass and has potent lipolytic, antinatriuretic and antidiuretic effects. Growth hormone deficiency (GHD may occur both in children and in adults. At the moment there is no gold standard for the diagnosis of GHD, and the diagnosis should take into account clinical, auxological, biochemical and radiological changes and, if necessary, genetic testing. Recent studies have highlighted that the biochemical diagnosis of GH deficiency is still imperfect. Stimuli used in the tests are non-physiological, and various substances are characterized by a different mechanism of action and potency. A few years ago it was thought that GHD treatment in children must be completed at the end of linear growth. Studies performed in the last two decades have shown that GHD deficiency in adults may result in complex clinical problems, and if untreated shortens the life expectancy and worsens its comfort. Discontinuation of GH therapy after the final height has been reached in fact negatively impacts the physiological processes associated with the transition phase, which is the period of human life between achieving the final height and 25-30 years of age. Given the adverse metabolic effects of GH treatment interruption after linear growth has been completed, the latest recommendations propose reassessment of GH secretion in the period at least one month after cessation of treatment and continuation of the therapy in case of persistent deficit.

Proteomic and physiological responses of Kineococcus radiotolerans to copper.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher E Bagwell

Full Text Available Copper is a highly reactive, toxic metal; consequently, transport of this metal within the cell is tightly regulated. Intriguingly, the actinobacterium Kineococcus radiotolerans has been shown to not only accumulate soluble copper to high levels within the cytoplasm, but the phenotype also correlated with enhanced cell growth during chronic exposure to ionizing radiation. This study offers a first glimpse into the physiological and proteomic responses of K. radiotolerans to copper at increasing concentration and distinct growth phases. Aerobic growth rates and biomass yields were similar over a range of Cu(II concentrations (0-1.5 mM in complex medium. Copper uptake coincided with active cell growth and intracellular accumulation was positively correlated with Cu(II concentration in the growth medium (R(2=0.7. Approximately 40% of protein coding ORFs on the K. radiotolerans genome were differentially expressed in response to the copper treatments imposed. Copper accumulation coincided with increased abundance of proteins involved in oxidative stress and defense, DNA stabilization and repair, and protein turnover. Interestingly, the specific activity of superoxide dismutase was repressed by low to moderate concentrations of copper during exponential growth, and activity was unresponsive to perturbation with paraquot. The biochemical response pathways invoked by sub-lethal copper concentrations are exceptionally complex; though integral cellular functions are preserved, in part, through the coordination of defense enzymes, chaperones, antioxidants and protective osmolytes that likely help maintain cellular redox. This study extends our understanding of the ecology and physiology of this unique actinobacterium that could potentially inspire new biotechnologies in metal recovery and sequestration, and environmental restoration.

Proteomic and physiological responses of Kineococcus radiotolerans to copper.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagwell, Christopher E; Hixson, Kim K; Milliken, Charles E; Lopez-Ferrer, Daniel; Weitz, Karl K

2010-08-26

Copper is a highly reactive, toxic metal; consequently, transport of this metal within the cell is tightly regulated. Intriguingly, the actinobacterium Kineococcus radiotolerans has been shown to not only accumulate soluble copper to high levels within the cytoplasm, but the phenotype also correlated with enhanced cell growth during chronic exposure to ionizing radiation. This study offers a first glimpse into the physiological and proteomic responses of K. radiotolerans to copper at increasing concentration and distinct growth phases. Aerobic growth rates and biomass yields were similar over a range of Cu(II) concentrations (0-1.5 mM) in complex medium. Copper uptake coincided with active cell growth and intracellular accumulation was positively correlated with Cu(II) concentration in the growth medium (R(2)=0.7). Approximately 40% of protein coding ORFs on the K. radiotolerans genome were differentially expressed in response to the copper treatments imposed. Copper accumulation coincided with increased abundance of proteins involved in oxidative stress and defense, DNA stabilization and repair, and protein turnover. Interestingly, the specific activity of superoxide dismutase was repressed by low to moderate concentrations of copper during exponential growth, and activity was unresponsive to perturbation with paraquot. The biochemical response pathways invoked by sub-lethal copper concentrations are exceptionally complex; though integral cellular functions are preserved, in part, through the coordination of defense enzymes, chaperones, antioxidants and protective osmolytes that likely help maintain cellular redox. This study extends our understanding of the ecology and physiology of this unique actinobacterium that could potentially inspire new biotechnologies in metal recovery and sequestration, and environmental restoration.

Early growth performances of various seed sources of black (Prunus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Early growth performances of various seed sources of black (Prunus serotina Erhr.) and wild cherry ( Prunus avium L.) seedlings on low and high elevation sites in the western Black Sea Region of Turkey.

Physiological integration of parents and ramets of Agave deserti: Carbon relations during vegetative and sexually reproductive growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tissue, D.T.

1989-01-01

Agave deserti is a semelparous perennial occurring in the northwestern Sonoran Desert that flowers after 50-55 years, but propagates primarily vegetatively by ramets. Shading ramets in the field to light compensation for two years did not decrease their relative growth rate compared with unshaded ramets. However, parents experienced a 30% decrease in total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) level, indicating that carbohydrates were translocated from parents to ramets. Parents were also shaded in the field for two years and about 10% of the growth of the shaded parents was attributed to TNC received from their attached, unshaded ramets indicating bidirectional translocation of carbohydrates between parents and ramets. The amount of carbon imported by a ramet from its parent, measured using 14 CO 2 techniques, was related to its photosynthetically active radiation environment, shaded ramets received 2.1 times more carbon than unshaded ramets, and was inversely related to the mass of the ramet, small ramets received up to 4.5 times more carbon than large ramets. The physiological integration of parents and ramets allows ramets to draw upon the reserves of the parent, thereby facilitating ramet growth and establishment in a resource-limited environment. Rosettes of Agave deserti must attain a minimum size (> 1,000 g dry mass) to initiate flowering, unless they are connected to a large flowering parent. Ramets that flower precociously can not complete formation of their inflorescence unless partially supported by carbon supplied by their attached parent. TNC reserves of the parent provided 70% of the carbon required to produce its own inflorescence, typically 4 m tall and 1.5 kg in dry mass, and CO 2 uptake by the leaves and the inflorescence provided the remaining 30%

Genetic approaches in comparative and evolutionary physiology

Science.gov (United States)

Bridgham, Jamie T.; Kelly, Scott A.; Garland, Theodore

2015-01-01

Whole animal physiological performance is highly polygenic and highly plastic, and the same is generally true for the many subordinate traits that underlie performance capacities. Quantitative genetics, therefore, provides an appropriate framework for the analysis of physiological phenotypes and can be used to infer the microevolutionary processes that have shaped patterns of trait variation within and among species. In cases where specific genes are known to contribute to variation in physiological traits, analyses of intraspecific polymorphism and interspecific divergence can reveal molecular mechanisms of functional evolution and can provide insights into the possible adaptive significance of observed sequence changes. In this review, we explain how the tools and theory of quantitative genetics, population genetics, and molecular evolution can inform our understanding of mechanism and process in physiological evolution. For example, lab-based studies of polygenic inheritance can be integrated with field-based studies of trait variation and survivorship to measure selection in the wild, thereby providing direct insights into the adaptive significance of physiological variation. Analyses of quantitative genetic variation in selection experiments can be used to probe interrelationships among traits and the genetic basis of physiological trade-offs and constraints. We review approaches for characterizing the genetic architecture of physiological traits, including linkage mapping and association mapping, and systems approaches for dissecting intermediary steps in the chain of causation between genotype and phenotype. We also discuss the promise and limitations of population genomic approaches for inferring adaptation at specific loci. We end by highlighting the role of organismal physiology in the functional synthesis of evolutionary biology. PMID:26041111

Life History theory hypotheses on child growth: Potential implications for short and long-term child growth, development and health.

Science.gov (United States)

Said-Mohamed, Rihlat; Pettifor, John M; Norris, Shane A

2018-01-01

Life history theory integrates ecological, physiological, and molecular layers within an evolutionary framework to understand organisms' strategies to optimize survival and reproduction. Two life history hypotheses and their implications for child growth, development, and health (illustrated in the South African context) are reviewed here. One hypothesis suggests that there is an energy trade-off between linear growth and brain growth. Undernutrition in infancy and childhood may trigger adaptive physiological mechanisms prioritizing the brain at the expense of body growth. Another hypothesis is that the period from conception to infancy is a critical window of developmental plasticity of linear growth, the duration of which may vary between and within populations. The transition from infancy to childhood may mark the end of a critical window of opportunity for improving child growth. Both hypotheses emphasize the developmental plasticity of linear growth and the potential determinants of growth variability (including the role of parent-offspring conflict in maternal resources allocation). Implications of these hypotheses in populations with high burdens of undernutrition and infections are discussed. In South Africa, HIV/AIDS during pregnancy (associated with adverse birth outcomes, short duration of breastfeeding, and social consequences) may lead to a shortened window of developmental plasticity of growth. Furthermore, undernutrition and infectious diseases in children living in South Africa, a country undergoing a rapid nutrition transition, may have adverse consequences on individuals' cognitive abilities and risks of cardio-metabolic diseases. Studies are needed to identify physiological mechanisms underlying energy allocation between biological functions and their potential impacts on health. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Growth Performance and Initial Heritability Estimates for Growth Traits in Juvenile Sea Urchin Tripneustes gratilla

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma. Josefa Pante

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Genetic improvement of performance traits of maricultured species is becoming an important concern. Improvement of performance traits is important for two reasons: it enhances the growth and survival of the animals and it translates to economic gains to the fish farmer. In the sea urchin, Tripneustes gratilla, growth performance of the different families and heritabilities for wet weight, test diameter and test height were estimated from 1,020 offspring from a mating of each of the 15 males with 1 or 2 females. Measurements were done monthly starting at the grow-out stage or four months after hatching. There were significant family differences for the performance traits in sea urchin reared in tanks at the BML hatchery as revealed by ANOVA. Estimates of heritabilities based on the sire component of variance were low for wet weight (0.027, test diameter (0.033 and zero for test height. Heritabilities estimated from the dam component of variance were low for wet weight (0.063, moderate for test diameter (0.286 and test height (0.227. The results indicate that test diameter and wet weight have lowly heritable traits, which means that mass or individual selection may not be the best method for improving the traits for sea urchin populations in Bolinao. Other methods such as family and combined family selection should be explored.

Study on growth performance of Murrah buffaloes raised under farm ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

VCRI_AN_GENETICS

Non-genetic and genetic factors influencing growth performance in. Murrah ... Central Cattle Breeding Farm, Alamadhi, Tamil Nadu, India, born in the period between 1990 and 2004 were .... and permanent environmental effects due to dam.

Growth performance of crossbred kids (Boer x Indigenous Goat Breeds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsegay Teklebrhan

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted to evaluate growth performance of crossbred (Boer x Hararaghe Highland and Boer x Short Eared Somali kids at Haramaya University Goat Farm in Eastern Ethiopia. Breed (p

Effect of Production System on Welfare Traits, Growth Performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Duck feather quality was greater and gait defects were reduced in NRS system compared with FRS and WRS systems. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) was not affected by the production system. Growth performance was not significantly different between FRS and WRS systems. Average daily weight gain of FRS ducks was ...

Evaluation of Growth Performance of Tomato in Response to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Field experiment was conducted in 2013 and 2014 to evaluate growth performance of two tomato genotypes in response to biochar application and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) inoculation at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. The experiment was laid out in a split-split ...

Study on Biodiesel plants growth performance and tolerance to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Abstract. In this research, we studied the growth performance and tolerance of three biodiesel plants namely; Jatropha curcas, Moringa oleifera and Ricinus communis to water stress. Research conducted on the three different soils from Kaita, Jibiya and Mai'adua in the semi-desert environments of Katsina State, Nigeria.

Physiological Signaling and Structure of the HGF Receptor MET

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Gianluca Baldanzi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The “hepatocyte growth factor” also known as “scatter factor”, is a multifunctional cytokine with the peculiar ability of simultaneously triggering epithelial cell proliferation, movement and survival. The combination of those proprieties results in the induction of an epithelial to mesenchymal transition in target cells, fundamental for embryogenesis but also exploited by tumor cells during metastatization. The hepatocyte growth factor receptor, MET, is a proto-oncogene and a prototypical transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor. Inhere we discuss the MET molecular structure and the hepatocyte growth factor driven physiological signaling which coordinates epithelial proliferation, motility and morphogenesis.

Effect of zinc bacitracin and phytase on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass and meat traits of broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Attia, Y A; Bovera, F; Abd El-Hamid, A E; Tag El-Din, A E; Al-Harthi, M A; El-Shafy, A S

2016-06-01

A total of 336 one-day-old Hubbard broiler chickens were randomly distributed among 8 groups, each containing six replicates (7 chickens/replicate). From 1 to 40 days of age, the groups fed the same starter, grower and finisher diets. The control group was unsupplemented; zinc bacitracin (ZnB) group received the antibiotic at 0.5 g/kg; fungal phytase (FP) groups received 250, 500 and 1000 U/kg diet of Aspergillus niger phytase (FP_250, FP_500 and FP_1000 groups), respectively; bacterial phyatse (BP) groups received 250, 500 and 1000 U/kg diet of Escherichia coli phytase (BP_250EP, BP_500EP and BP_1000EP groups) respectively. Considering the whole experimental period, body weight gain was unaffected by ZnB and different concentrations of bacterial and fungal phytase; however, the feed conversion ratio of the group fed a diet supplemented with 500 U of BP was better (p phytase at 500 U may enhance performance of broiler chickens fed during days 1-40 of age and yield similar growth performance and economic efficiency to those of eB-supplemented groups. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Influence of ambient and enhanced ultraviolet-B radiation on the plant growth and physiological properties in two contrasting populations of Hippophae rhamnoides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Y.; Yao, Y.; He, H.

2008-01-01

Two contrasting sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) populations from low and high altitude regions were employed to investigate the effects of prevailing and enhanced ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on plant growth and physiological properties under a UVB-enhanced/exclusion system. The experimental design included three UV-B regimes, including excluded (-UVB), near-ambient (NA) and enhanced UV-B (+UVB) radiation. Compared with the control (-UVB), NA caused the formation of smaller but thicker plant leaves in both sea buckthorn populations, paralleled with significant increments of carotenoids and UV-absorbing compounds as well as improved water economy. NA also induced more biomass partition from shoot to root, but CO2 assimilation rate (A), photosynthetic area and biomass accumulation were unaffected. The low-altitude population seemed sensitive to +uvB, as indicated by the decreases in total biomass, A and ascorbic acid content (Asa, an antioxidant) compared with NA. However, little +UVB effect occurred on the high-altitude population, and we suggest that the higher tolerance of this population could be associated with its specific morphological and physiological characteristics, such as small but thick leaves and high-level of Asa content, as well as its greater physiological modification in response to NA, e.g., increases in protective compounds (carotenoids and UV-absorbing compounds) and improvement in water economy, in comparison to the low-altitude population, which form an effective adaptation strategy to enhanced UV-B stress

Threshold Research on Highway Length under Typical Landscape Patterns Based on Drivers’ Physiological Performance

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Xia Zhao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The appropriately landscaped highway scenes may not only help improve road safety and comfort but also help protect ecological environment. Yet there is very little research data on highway length threshold with consideration of distinctive landscape patterns. Against this backdrop, the paper aims to quantitatively analyze highway landscape’s effect on driving behavior based on drivers’ physiological performance and quantify highway length thresholds under three typical landscape patterns, namely, “open,” “semiopen,” and “vertical” ones. The statistical analysis was based on data collected in a driving simulator and electrocardiograph. Specifically, vehicle-related data, ECG data, and supplemental subjective stress perception were collected. The study extracted two characteristic indices, lane deviation and LF/HF, and extrapolated the drivers’ U-shaped physiological response to landscape patterns. Models on highway length were built based on LF/HF’s variation trend with highway length. The results revealed that the theoretical highway length threshold tended to increase when the landscape pattern was switched to open, semiopen, and vertical ones. And the reliability and accuracy of the results were validated by questionnaires and field operational tests. Findings from this research will assist practitioners in taking active environmental countermeasures pertaining to different roadside landscape patterns.

growth and physiological performance of west african dwarf goats

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

2014-09-02

Sep 2, 2014 ... Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. ... Twenty young growing West African Dwarf (WAD) goats of both sexes with an average body weight of 5.77kg ... Northern part of the country (Ugwu and.

Sustained attention performance during sleep deprivation associates with instability in behavior and physiologic measures at baseline.

Science.gov (United States)

Chua, Eric Chern-Pin; Yeo, Sing-Chen; Lee, Ivan Tian-Guang; Tan, Luuan-Chin; Lau, Pauline; Cai, Shiwei; Zhang, Xiaodong; Puvanendran, Kathiravelu; Gooley, Joshua J

2014-01-01

To identify baseline behavioral and physiologic markers that associate with individual differences in sustained attention during sleep deprivation. In a retrospective study, ocular, electrocardiogram, and electroencephalogram (EEG) measures were compared in subjects who were characterized as resilient (n = 15) or vulnerable (n = 15) to the effects of total sleep deprivation on sustained attention. Chronobiology and Sleep Laboratory, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore. Healthy volunteers aged 22-32 years from the general population. Subjects were kept awake for at least 26 hours under constant environmental conditions. Every 2 hours, sustained attention was assessed using a 10-minute psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). During baseline sleep and recovery sleep, EEG slow wave activity was similar in resilient versus vulnerable subjects, suggesting that individual differences in vulnerability to sleep loss were not related to differences in homeostatic sleep regulation. Rather, irrespective of time elapsed since wake, subjects who were vulnerable to sleep deprivation exhibited slower and more variable PVT response times, lower and more variable heart rate, and higher and more variable EEG spectral power in the theta frequency band (6.0-7.5 Hz). Performance decrements in sustained attention during sleep deprivation associate with instability in behavioral and physiologic measures at baseline. Small individual differences in sustained attention that are present at baseline are amplified during prolonged wakefulness, thus contributing to large between-subjects differences in performance and sleepiness.

Using an integrated approach to link biomarker responses and physiological stress to growth impairment of cadmium-exposed larval topsmelt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rose, Wendy L.; Nisbet, Roger M.; Green, Peter G.; Norris, Sarah; Fan, Teresa; Smith, Edmund H.; Cherr, Gary N.; Anderson, Susan L.

2006-01-01

In this study, we used an integrated approach to determine whether key biochemical, cellular, and physiological responses were related to growth impairment of cadmium (Cd)-exposed larval topsmelt (Atherinops affinis). Food intake (Artemia franciscana nauplii), oxygen consumption rates, apoptotic DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay), and metallothionein (MT)-like protein levels, were separately measured in relation to growth of larval topsmelt aqueously exposed to sublethal doses of Cd for 14 days. Cadmium accumulation and concentrations of abundant metals were also evaluated in a subset of fish. Fish in the highest Cd treatments (50 and 100 ppb Cd) were smaller in final mean weight and length, and consumed fewer A. franciscana nauplii than control fish. Food intake was positively correlated with final weight of larval topsmelt in Cd and control treatments; food intake increased as final weight of the fish increased. Oxygen consumption rates were positively correlated with Cd concentration and mean oxygen consumption rates were inversely correlated with final mean weight of topsmelt; the smallest fish were found in the highest Cd treatment and were respiring at higher rates than control fish. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation was concentration-dependent and was associated with diminished growth. Apoptotic DNA fragmentation was elevated in the gill of fish exposed to 50 ppb Cd, and in the gut, gill, and liver of fish exposed to 100 ppb Cd. Metallothionein (MT)-like protein levels in fish from 100 ppb Cd treatments were significantly higher than those in other treatments. Oxygen consumption rates may have increased as a compensatory response to Cd exposure. However, it is likely that the energy produced was allocated to an increased metabolic demand due to apoptosis, MT synthesis, and changes in ion regulation. This diversion of energy expenditures could contribute to growth impairment of Cd-exposed fish

Role of medicinal plants on growth performance and immune status in fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Awad, Elham; Awaad, Amani

2017-08-01

Disease outbreaks increase proportionally with increases in intensive aquaculture. Natural products including medicinal plants have been known from thousands of years for treating some human diseases. It is well known that many active compounds are responsible for potential bio-activities. For that reason, there has been considerable interest in the use of medicinal plants in aquaculture with a view to providing safe and eco-friendly compounds for replacing antibiotics and chemical compounds as well as to enhance immune status and control fish diseases. This article describes a wide range of medicinal plants such as herbs, seeds, and spices with different forms such as crude, extracts, mixed and active compounds, used as immunostimulants and resulting in a marked enhancement in the immune system of fish to prevent and control microbial diseases. Moreover, different activity was recorded from plant parts like seeds, roots, flowers and leaves. The mode of action of medicinal plants was stimulation of the cellular and humoral immune response which was monitored through elevation in immune parameters. Various levels of immune stimulation have been shown by medicinal plants at different concentrations through injection or immersion or oral administration. However, it is critically important to determine the optimal dose to enhance the immune system of fish and avoid the risk of immunosuppression. Some medicinal plants have been used to replace the protein in fishmeal as a cheap source of protein and proved to be efficient in this respect. Medicinal plants can act as a growth promoter and immunomodulator at the same time. Further investigations should be carried out to examine the influence of those plants on fish health (including physiological and histological parameters) as a preliminary step for use in large scale in aquaculture. The current review describes the role of medicinal plants and their derivatives on innate and adaptive immune status as well as growth

Feed utilization and growth performance of cockerels fed with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of soldier ant as dietary supplements on the growth performance of cockerels. Two hundred cockerels of Nera white strain (aged 6 weeks) were randomly assigned into 5 dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Each treatment was replicated 5 times with 8 ...

Growth performance and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens fed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Two hundred and seventy (270), day old chicks were used in a completely randomized design experimental layout to test the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of broiler chickens fed single phase diets containing natuzyme™ treated groundnut shell at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 % inclusion levels. The treatments ...

Inferring physiological energetics of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) from existing data using a general metabolic theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Marn, Nina; Kooijman, S A L M; Jusup, Marko; Legović, Tarzan; Klanjšček, Tin

2017-05-01

Loggerhead turtle is an endangered sea turtle species with a migratory lifestyle and worldwide distribution, experiencing markedly different habitats throughout its lifetime. Environmental conditions, especially food availability and temperature, constrain the acquisition and the use of available energy, thus affecting physiological processes such as growth, maturation, and reproduction. These physiological processes at the population level determine survival, fecundity, and ultimately the population growth rate-a key indicator of the success of conservation efforts. As a first step towards the comprehensive understanding of how environment shapes the physiology and the life cycle of a loggerhead turtle, we constructed a full life cycle model based on the principles of energy acquisition and utilization embedded in the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory. We adapted the standard DEB model using data from published and unpublished sources to obtain parameter estimates and model predictions that could be compared with data. The outcome was a successful mathematical description of ontogeny and life history traits of the loggerhead turtle. Some deviations between the model and the data existed (such as an earlier age at sexual maturity and faster growth of the post-hatchlings), yet probable causes for these deviations were found informative and discussed in great detail. Physiological traits such as the capacity to withstand starvation, trade-offs between reproduction and growth, and changes in the energy budget throughout the ontogeny were inferred from the model. The results offer new insights into physiology and ecology of loggerhead turtle with the potential to lead to novel approaches in conservation of this endangered species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cell physiology at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory: a brief look back and forward

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

The Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL) has played important roles in the development of modern physiological concepts and tools, particularly in the fields of kidney and epithelial cell physiology. Over the last decade, MDIBL has undergone remarkable growth and evolution. This article will briefly review MDIBL's past and outline its future directions. It is hoped that this overview will renew and stimulate interest in MDIBL and, in particular, will encourage an even wider community of physiologists to participate in its ongoing growth and development. PMID:21068363

Effect of days in feedlot on growth performance and carcass ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effect of days in feedlot on growth performance and carcass characteristics of Merino, South African Mutton Merino and Dorper lambs. T.S. Brand, E.J. van der Westhuizen, D.A. van der Merwe, L.C. Hoffman ...

Performance Measurements, Critical Facts to Business Growth – Exemplification on Automotive Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea Ileana ZAMFIR

2012-12-01

Full Text Available An important consideration in the process of modeling business processes is that in order to improve, you must define the current state of work. Accordingly, the general argument for business growth based on performance measurement is that in order to improve the process in the future, you must know how activities are conducted in the present. The article presents the key elements of performance measurements in relation to business growth, taking also into account main challenges and obstacles. The author based the research upon a larger study of increasing performance, developed inside four companies from an extended supply chain in automotive industry, relating the theoretical discoveries in the field with the real business experience.

Nursery inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus viscosum and its effect on the growth and physiology of hybrid artichoke seedlings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Campanelli

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Most nurseries operating in Italy adopt high technologies and produce transplants that well suit and satisfy the grower’s need to produce high value crops. Mycorrhizas are discussed as a tool for improving and developing plant production in the nursery. Much research has been carried out on mycorrhizal symbiosis and we now know more about the symbiontic relationship between fungi and host plants. Plants receive numerous benefits from this symbiosis which are more macroscopic the earlier in the ontogenetic cycle this symbiosis is established. Therefore, it appears that the most effective period in which the inoculum should be made corresponds to the in-nursery growing stage. The earlier the plant is inoculated, the more evident the effect will be. In this study, several aspects related to the physiological foundations of arbuscular mycorrhiza in artichoke plants are presented. The main goal was to study the effects of mycorrhiza on the growth and physiological parameters of three hybrids of artichokes growing in the nursery. The experimental 3¥2 design included two treatments (with or without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and three hybrids of artichokes marketed by Nunhems (Opal F1, Madrigal F1, Concerto F1. Mycorrhizal plants have greater shoot length, leaf area, shoot and root fresh and dry mass, and root density. This also corresponded with increased photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance of mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal colonization improves relative water content and increases proline concentration in vegetal tissue. Inoculation produced the most beneficial effect on hybrid Madrigal F1 and on hybrid Opal F1; the best mycorrhizal affinity was enhanced when compared to hybrid Concerto F1. The results showed that mycorrhizal symbiosis stimulated the growth of inoculated seedlings providing a qualitatively good propagation material.

Nursery inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus viscosum and its effect on the growth and physiology of hybrid artichoke seedlings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Campanelli

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Most nurseries operating in Italy adopt high technologies and produce transplants that well suit and satisfy the grower’s need to produce high value crops. Mycorrhizas are discussed as a tool for improving and developing plant production in the nursery. Much research has been carried out on mycorrhizal symbiosis and we now know more about the symbiontic relationship between fungi and host plants. Plants receive numerous benefits from this symbiosis which are more macroscopic the earlier in the ontogenetic cycle this symbiosis is established. Therefore, it appears that the most effective period in which the inoculum should be made corresponds to the in-nursery growing stage. The earlier the plant is inoculated, the more evident the effect will be. In this study, several aspects related to the physiological foundations of arbuscular mycorrhiza in artichoke plants are presented. The main goal was to study the effects of mycorrhiza on the growth and physiological parameters of three hybrids of artichokes growing in the nursery. The experimental 3¥2 design included two treatments (with or without arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and three hybrids of artichokes marketed by Nunhems (Opal F1, Madrigal F1, Concerto F1. Mycorrhizal plants have greater shoot length, leaf area, shoot and root fresh and dry mass, and root density. This also corresponded with increased photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance of mycorrhizal plants. Mycorrhizal colonization improves relative water content and increases proline concentration in vegetal tissue. Inoculation produced the most beneficial effect on hybrid Madrigal F1 and on hybrid Opal F1; the best mycorrhizal affinity was enhanced when compared to hybrid Concerto F1. The results showed that mycorrhizal symbiosis stimulated the growth of inoculated seedlings providing a qualitatively good propagation material.

A physiological production model for cacao : results of model simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuidema, P.A.; Leffelaar, P.A.

2002-01-01

CASE2 is a physiological model for cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) growth and yield. This report introduces the CAcao Simulation Engine for water-limited production in a non-technical way and presents simulation results obtained with the model.

The effects of acute and long-term exposure to CO 2 on the respiratory physiology and production performance of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) in freshwater

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khan, Javed Rafiq; Johansen, D.; Skov, Peter Vilhelm

2018-01-01

of recovery from stress. They also show that these effects are driven primarily by CO2 exposure, and to a much lesser extent by the associated reduction in pH. Growth and feed conversion experiments during chronic exposure suggest that there is no CO2 concentration where production performance is unaffected.......A high-level of free CO2 is a prevalent feature of intensive RAS and chronic exposure is common for most species during the production process. Currently, standard operating procedures, regulations and “safe” levels of CO2 are based on values that do not necessarily represent a point at, up...... the effects of both; acute increases in dissolved CO2 on the physiological capacity of Atlantic salmon, as well the effects of chronic exposure to different CO2 concentrations on production in freshwater. Results show that acute exposure (up to 40 mg L−1) significantly reduces aerobic capacity and the rate...

Plant-pathogen interactions: leaf physiology alterations in poplars infected with rust (Melampsora medusae).

Science.gov (United States)

Gortari, Fermín; Guiamet, Juan José; Graciano, Corina

2018-01-23

Rust produced by Melampsora sp. is considered one of the most relevant diseases in poplar plantations. Growth reduction in poplar plantations takes place because rust, like other pathogens, alters leaf physiology. There is not a complete evaluation of several of the physiological traits that can be affected by rust at leaf level. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate, in an integrative way and in the same pathosystem, which physiological processes are affected when Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh. leaves are infected by rust (Melampsora medusae Thümen). Leaves of two clones with different susceptibility to rust were analyzed. Field and pot experiments were performed, and several physiological traits were measured in healthy and infected leaves. We conclude that rust affects leaf mesophyll integrity, and so water movement in the leaf in liquid phase is affected. As a consequence, gas exchange is reduced, affecting both carbon fixation and transpiration. However, there is an increase in respiration rate, probably due to plant and fungal respiration. The increase in respiration rate is important in the reduction of net photosynthetic rate, but also some damage in the photosynthetic apparatus limits leaf capacity to fix carbon. The decrease in chlorophyll content would start later and seems not to explain the reduction in net photosynthetic rate. Both clones, although they have different susceptibility to rust, are affected in the same physiological mechanisms. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessment of physiological performance and perception of pushing different wheelchairs on indoor modular units simulating a surface roughness often encountered in under-resourced settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Kotaro; Rispin, Karen

2017-01-01

In under-resourced settings where motorized wheelchairs are rarely available, manual wheelchair users with limited upper-body strength and functionalities need to rely on assisting pushers for their mobility. Because traveling surfaces in under-resourced settings are often unpaved and rough, wheelchair pushers could experience high physiological loading. In order to evaluate pushers' physiological loading and to improve wheelchair designs, we built indoor modular units that simulate rough surface conditions, and tested a hypothesis that pushing different wheelchairs would result in different physiological performances and pushers' perception of difficulty on the simulated rough surface. Eighteen healthy subjects pushed two different types of pediatric wheelchairs (Moti-Go manufactured by Motivation, and KidChair by Hope Haven) fitted with a 50-kg dummy on the rough and smooth surfaces at self-selected speeds. Oxygen uptake, traveling distance for 6 minutes, and the rating of difficulty were obtained. The results supported our hypothesis, showing that pushing Moti-Go on the rough surface was physiologically less loading than KidChair, but on the smooth surface, the two wheelchairs did not differ significantly. These results indicate wheelchair designs to improve pushers' performance in under-resourced settings should be evaluated on rough surfaces.

Effect of chicken genotype on growth performance and feed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This experiment was conducted to assess the effect of chicken genotype on the growth performance, feed intake and feed efficiency of the progenies resulting from pure, straight and reciprocal cross of Giriraja (Gr) and Alpha chickens. Data obtained on body weight, body length, breast girth, keel length, feed intake and feed ...

Growth performance and immunity status of starter broiler birds ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding diets containing Neem Leaf Meal (NLM), Garlic Meal (GM) and their combinations (NLM + GM) on growth performance and serum parameters of starter broiler birds. A total of 180 day-old Cobb broiler chickens were divided into twelve groups of fifteen chicks with ...

Physiological and biochemical responses of Ricinus communis seedlings to different temperatures: a metabolomics approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ribeiro de Jesus, P.R.; Fernandez, L.G.; Delmondez de Castro, R.; Ligterink, W.; Hilhorst, H.W.M.

2014-01-01

Background Compared with major crops, growth and development of Ricinus communis is still poorly understood. A better understanding of the biochemical and physiological aspects of germination and seedling growth is crucial for the breeding of high yielding varieties adapted to various growing

Evaluating growth performance of young stands

Science.gov (United States)

A. L. Roe; R. E. Benson

1966-01-01

A simple procedure for evaluating the diameter growth of young stands in relation to potential growth is described. A comparison technique is developed which contrasts relative diameter of crop trees to the relative diameter growth of the last decade to show the condition and trend of growth in the stand. The method is objective, easy to use, and has several...

Chronic treatment with epidermal growth factor induces growth of the rat ventral prostate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tørring, N; Jensen, L V; Wen, J G

2001-01-01

of the prostate epithelium, the stroma and the lumen following EGF treatment, in a pattern resembling physiological growth of the ventral prostate. A significant correlation (r = 0.78, p testosterone...

Growth performance and economy of production of grower pigs fed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

meal-based diets. ... International Journal of Tropical Agriculture and Food Systems ... Twenty-four landrace x large white grower pigs were used to study the effect of maize-cob- meal-based diets on the growth performance and economy of ...

Proteome dynamics and physiological responses to short-term salt stress in Leymus chinensis leaves.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jikai Li

Full Text Available Salt stress is becoming an increasing threat to global agriculture. In this study, physiological and proteomics analysis were performed using a salt-tolerant grass species, Leymus chinensis (L. chinensis. The aim of this study is to understand the potential mechanism of salt tolerance in L. chinensis that used for crop molecular breeding. A series of short-term (<48 h NaCl treatments (0 ~ 700 mM were conducted. Physiological data indicated that the root and leaves growth were inhibited, chlorophyll contents decreased, while hydraulic conductivity, proline, sugar and sucrose were accumulated under salt stress. For proteomic analysis, we obtained 274 differentially expressed proteins in response to NaCl treatments. GO analysis revealed that 44 out of 274 proteins are involved in the biosynthesis of amino acids and carbon metabolism. Our findings suggested that L. chinensis copes with salt stress by stimulating the activities of POD, SOD and CAT enzymes, speeding up the reactions of later steps of citrate cycle, and synthesis of proline and sugar. In agreement with our physiological data, proteomic analysis also showed that salt stress depress the expression of photosystem relevant proteins, Calvin cycle, and chloroplast biosynthesis.

Smoke produced from plants waste material elicits growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. by improving morphological, physiological and biochemical activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Iqbal

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The experimental work presented in this study was carried out with the hypothesis that plant derived smoke enhanced the morphological, physiological and biochemical attributes of a cereal crop, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.. Furthermore, this study supported the hypothesis that plant derived smoke acts as vegetative growth promoter, inexpensive, rapid and most appropriate eco-friendly bio-fertilizer for sustainable agriculture. Plant derived smoke was generated by burning of plant material (leaf, straws etc in a specially designed furnace, and seeds were treated with this smoke for different time duration. Four level of plant derived smoke (1 h, 2 h, 3 h and 4 h along with control were tested on four wheat cultivars in CRD repeated pot experiment. The smoke-related treatments modified number of morphological, physiological and biochemical features of wheat. Compared with the control, aerosol smoke treatment of the seeds significantly improved root length (2.6%, shoot length (7.7%, RFW (0.04%, SFW (0.7%, SDW (0.1% and leaf area (63.9%. All the smoke-related treatments significantly promoted RWC (17.3%, water potential (1.5%, osmotic potential (1.4% and MSI (14.6% whereas a pronounced increase in chlorophyll a (24.9%, chlorophyll b (21.7% and total chlorophyll contents (15.5% were recorded in response to aerosol-smoke treatments. Plant derived smoke exposure applied for short time i.e. 1 h & 2 h induced significant results as compared to prolonged PDS exposure (3 h and 4 h. The best results were observed in Pak-13 and Glaxy-13 wheat cultivars. These findings indicated that the plant-derived smoke treatment has a great potential to improve morphological, physiological and biochemical features of wheat crop.

Multi-signal Visualization of Physiology (MVP): a novel visualization dashboard for physiological monitoring of Traumatic Brain Injury patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebastian, Kevin; Sari, Vivian; Loy, Liang Yu; Zhang, Feng; Zhang, Zhuo; Feng, Mengling

2012-01-01

To prevent Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) patients from secondary brain injuries, patients' physiological readings are continuously monitored. However, the visualization dashboards of most existing monitoring devices cannot effectively present all physiological information of TBI patients and are also ineffective in facilitating neuro-clinicians for fast and accurate diagnosis. To address these shortcomings, we proposed a new visualization dashboard, namely the Multi-signal Visualization of Physiology (MVP). MVP makes use of multi-signal polygram to collate various physiological signals, and it also utilizes colors and the concept of "safe/danger zones" to assist neuro-clinicians to achieve fast and accurate diagnosis. Moreover, MVP allows neuro-clinicians to review historical physiological statuses of TBI patients, which can guide and optimize clinicians' diagnosis and prognosis decisions. The performance of MVP is tested and justified with an actual Philips monitoring device.

Specific physiological and biomechanical performance in elite, sub-elite and in non-elite male team handball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Herbert; Fuchs, Philip X; von Duvillard, Serge P

2018-01-01

Team handball is a dynamic sport game that is played professionally in numerous countries. However, knowledge about training and competition is based mostly on practical experience due to limited scientific studies. Consequently, the aims of our study were to compare specific physiological and biomechanical performance in elite, sub-elite and in non-elite male team handball players. Thirty-six elite, sub-elite and non-elite male team handball players performed a game based performance test, upper-body and lower-body strength tests, 30-m sprint test, counter movement jump test and an incremental treadmill running test. Significant differences (Phandball specific oxygen uptake and higher leg strength compared to sub-elite and non-elite players. Based on these results we recommend that training in team handball should focus on game based training methods to improve performance in specific agility, endurance and technique.

Plasma Membrane H(+)-ATPase Regulation in the Center of Plant Physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Falhof, Janus; Pedersen, Jesper Torbøl; Fuglsang, Anja Thoe; Palmgren, Michael

2016-03-07

The plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase is an important ion pump in the plant cell membrane. By extruding protons from the cell and generating a membrane potential, this pump energizes the PM, which is a prerequisite for growth. Modification of the autoinhibitory terminal domains activates PM H(+)-ATPase activity, and on this basis it has been hypothesized that these regulatory termini are targets for physiological factors that activate or inhibit proton pumping. In this review, we focus on the posttranslational regulation of the PM H(+)-ATPase and place regulation of the pump in an evolutionary and physiological context. The emerging picture is that multiple signals regulating plant growth interfere with the posttranslational regulation of the PM H(+)-ATPase. Copyright © 2016 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applied physiology of triathlon.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Toole, M L; Douglas, P S

1995-04-01

The triathlon is a 3-event endurance sport in which athletes compete sequentially in swimming, cycling and running. The primary determinant of success is the ability to sustain a high rate of energy expenditure for prolonged periods of time. Exercise training-induced physiological adaptations in virtually all systems of the body allow the athlete to accomplish this. Aerobic capacity (measured as maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max), economy of motion (submaximal VO2) and fractional utilisation of maximal capacity (%VO2max) reflect the integrated responses of these physiological adaptations. Numerous studies have reported relatively high mean VO2max values for various groups of triathletes that are comparable to those reported for athletes in single-event endurance sports and clearly above those reported for untrained individuals. In shorter distance triathlons and in studies using recreational (rather than elite) triathletes, VO2max is related to performance in the corresponding event of the triathlon (e.g. tethered swimming VO2max with swim time). In longer events and with more elite triathletes, VO2max correlates less well with performance. The physiological adaptations that correspond to and facilitate improved VO2max occur centrally in the cardiovascular system, centred on increased maximal cardiac output, and peripherally in the metabolic systems, centred around increased arterio-venous O2 (a-v O2) difference. While a high VO2max in individuals is clearly of importance to triathlon performance, energy output must be sustained for long periods of time, making economy of motion also very important. Studies suggests that competitive swimmers have better swimming economy than triathletes. However, since many triathletes have previously been competitive swimmers this finding is questionable. The finding suggests that triathletes from nonswimming backgrounds would benefit from improving swimming technique rather than concentrating training workouts solely on distance. In

Growth performance and feed utilization of Tilapia zillii (Gervais ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-07-06

Jul 6, 2009 ... Accepted 22 May, 2009. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth performance, feed utilization and body composition of Tilapia zillii fed diets where poultry by-product meal replaced fish meal protein at 0, 50 and 100% ... fish diets because of its high protein quality and palata- bility. However, fish ...

Effect of sage extract ( Salvia officinalis ) on growth performance ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of different doses of sage extract on the growth and blood parameters, oxidative stress and DNA damage in partridges. In total, 252 day-old partridges (Alectoris chukar) were used. The birds were divided into four groups: 0.1% flavomycin was included in the diet of the control ...

Smolt physiology and endocrinology

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Stephen D.; McCormick, Stephen D.; Farrell, Anthony Peter; Brauner, Colin J.

2013-01-01

Hormones play a critical role in maintaining body fluid balance in euryhaline fishes during changes in environmental salinity. The neuroendocrine axis senses osmotic and ionic changes, then signals and coordinates tissue-specific responses to regulate water and ion fluxes. Rapid-acting hormones, e.g. angiotensins, cope with immediate challenges by controlling drinking rate and the activity of ion transporters in the gill, gut, and kidney. Slow-acting hormones, e.g. prolactin and growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1, reorganize the body for long-term acclimation by altering the abundance of ion transporters and through cell proliferation and differentiation of ionocytes and other osmoregulatory cells. Euryhaline species exist in all groups of fish, including cyclostomes, and cartilaginous and teleost fishes. The diverse strategies for responding to changes in salinity have led to differential regulation and tissue-specific effects of hormones. Combining traditional physiological approaches with genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses will elucidate the patterns and diversity of the endocrine control of euryhalinity.

Injury Patterns, Physiological Profile, and Performance in University Rugby Union.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Shane; Halaki, Mark; Sharp, Tristan; Orr, Rhonda

2018-01-01

Rugby union is a physically demanding collision sport with high injury rates. There is a common perception that higher training loads result in greater injury risk in field-based sports. To determine injury, anthropometric, and physical-performance characteristics in junior rugby union players and investigate the interaction between training load and injury across a competitive season. Prospective cohort study. Fifty-one players (age 19.2 ± 0.7 y) from an under-20 university rugby union team (forwards, n = 27; backs, n = 24) participated in a study conducted over a competition season. Training load, injury characteristics, anthropometry, physiological performance, and match time-loss injury incidence were observed. Backs had significantly lower body mass (ES [95% CI] = 1.6 [0.9, 2.2]), skinfold thickness (ES = 1.1 [0.5, 1.7]), strength (squat ES = 0.6 [0.0, 1.2], deadlift ES = 0.6 [0.0, 1.1], bench press ES = 0.9 [0.4, 1.5]), lower-body power (ES = 0.4 [-0.2, 1.0]), and higher maximal aerobic capacity (ES = -0.3 [-0.8, 0.3]) than forwards. Match injury incidence was 107.3 injuries/1000 player hours (forwards 91.4/1000, backs 125.5/1000) during preseason and 110.7 injuries/1000 player hours (forwards 124.1/1000, backs 95.2/1000) during in-season. Forwards showed higher incidence of joint and ligament (P = .049) and upper-limb (P = .011) injuries than backs. No significant relationship between overall training load and match injury incidence was found. However, lower match injury incidence was associated with higher weekly training volume in backs (P = .007). Positional differences in body composition, performance, injury characteristics, and match injury patterns were identified in junior university rugby union players, indicating the need for position-specific training programs to reduce risk of injury.

Physiological and biochemical performances of menthol-induced aposymbiotic corals.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jih-Terng Wang

Full Text Available The unique mutualism between corals and their photosynthetic zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium spp. is the driving force behind functional assemblages of coral reefs. However, the respective roles of hosts and Symbiodinium in this endosymbiotic association, particularly in response to environmental challenges (e.g., high sea surface temperatures, remain unsettled. One of the key obstacles is to produce and maintain aposymbiotic coral hosts for experimental purposes. In this study, a simple and gentle protocol to generate aposymbiotic coral hosts (Isopora palifera and Stylophora pistillata was developed using repeated incubation in menthol/artificial seawater (ASW medium under light and in ASW in darkness, which depleted more than 99% of Symbiodinium from the host within 4∼8 days. As indicated by the respiration rate, energy metabolism (by malate dehydrogenase activity, and nitrogen metabolism (by glutamate dehydrogenase activity and profiles of free amino acids, the physiological and biochemical performances of the menthol-induced aposymbiotic corals were comparable to their symbiotic counterparts without nutrient supplementation (e.g., for Stylophora or with a nutrient supplement containing glycerol, vitamins, and a host mimic of free amino acid mixture (e.g., for Isopora. Differences in biochemical responses to menthol-induced bleaching between Stylophora and Isopora were attributed to the former digesting Symbiodinium rather than expelling the algae live as found in the latter species. Our studies showed that menthol could successfully bleach corals and provided aposymbiotic corals for further exploration of coral-alga symbioses.

Effect of laboratory-isolated Lactobacillus plantarum LGFCP4 from gastrointestinal tract of guinea fowl on growth performance, carcass traits, intestinal histomorphometry and gastrointestinal microflora population in broiler chicken.

Science.gov (United States)

Vineetha, P G; Tomar, S; Saxena, V K; Kapgate, M; Suvarna, A; Adil, K

2017-10-01

The study aimed to investigate the effect of feed supplements, viz Lactobacillus plantarum LGFCP4 (laboratory isolate from GIT of Guinea fowl), Lactobacillus acidophilus (NCDC, Karnal) and in-feed antibiotic bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD) on growth performance, FCR, carcass traits and immune organs weight, intestinal histomorphometry and gastrointestinal microflora population in broiler chickens. In a completely randomized design, CARIBRO-Dhanraja broiler chicks (n = 160) were used with four treatment groups. During the entire experimental duration of 35 days, treatment groups were provided with different dietary treatments (T1 - basal diet (negative control), T2 - antibiotic growth promoter BMD 20 g/100 kg feed (positive control), T3 - 1 × 10 8  cfu of L. acidophilus/gm-fermented feed +MOS 1 g/kg feed and T4 - 1 × 10 8  cfu of laboratory-isolated L. plantarum LGFCP4/gm-fermented feed+ MOS 1 g/kg feed. After 35 days of experimental period, no significant results have been observed in different growth performance traits among treatment groups. Cut-up parts and edible organs' weight remained unaffected by dietary supplementation, whereas weight of immune organs were significantly higher (p growth promoters in broiler diets by altering intestinal villi morphology and improving the gut health by reducing the pathogenic microbial load. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Understanding key performance indicators for breast support: An analysis of breast support effects on biomechanical, physiological and subjective measures during running.

Science.gov (United States)

Risius, Debbie; Milligan, Alexandra; Berns, Jason; Brown, Nicola; Scurr, Joanna

2017-05-01

To assess the effectiveness of breast support previous studies monitored breast kinematics and kinetics, subjective feedback, muscle activity (EMG), ground reaction forces (GRFs) and physiological measures in isolation. Comparing these variables within one study will establish the key performance variables that distinguish between breast supports during activities such as running. This study investigates the effects of changes in breast support on biomechanical, physiological and subjective measures during running. Ten females (34D) ran for 10 min in high and low breast supports, and for 2 min bare breasted (2.8 m·s -1 ). Breast and body kinematics, EMG, expired air and heart rate were recorded. GRFs were recorded during 10 m overground runs (2.8 m·s -1 ) and subjective feedback obtained after each condition. Of the 62 variables measured, 22 kinematic and subjective variables were influenced by changes in breast support. Willingness to exercise, time lag and superio-inferior breast velocity were most affected. GRFs, EMG and physiological variables were unaffected by breast support changes during running. Breast displacement reduction, although previously advocated, was not the most sensitive variable to breast support changes during running. Instead breast support products should be assessed using a battery of performance indicators, including the key kinematic and subjective variables identified here.

Evolutionary plant physiology: Charles Darwin's forgotten synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Kutschera, Ulrich; Niklas, Karl J.

2009-11-01

Charles Darwin dedicated more than 20 years of his life to a variety of investigations on higher plants (angiosperms). It has been implicitly assumed that these studies in the fields of descriptive botany and experimental plant physiology were carried out to corroborate his principle of descent with modification. However, Darwin’s son Francis, who was a professional plant biologist, pointed out that the interests of his father were both of a physiological and an evolutionary nature. In this article, we describe Darwin’s work on the physiology of higher plants from a modern perspective, with reference to the following topics: circumnutations, tropisms and the endogenous oscillator model; the evolutionary patterns of auxin action; the root-brain hypothesis; phloem structure and photosynthesis research; endosymbioses and growth-promoting bacteria; photomorphogenesis and phenotypic plasticity; basal metabolic rate, the Pfeffer-Kleiber relationship and metabolic optimality theory with respect to adaptive evolution; and developmental constraints versus functional equivalence in relationship to directional natural selection. Based on a review of these various fields of inquiry, we deduce the existence of a Darwinian (evolutionary) approach to plant physiology and define this emerging scientific discipline as the experimental study and theoretical analysis of the functions of green, sessile organisms from a phylogenetic perspective.

Evolutionary plant physiology: Charles Darwin's forgotten synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutschera, Ulrich; Niklas, Karl J

2009-11-01

Charles Darwin dedicated more than 20 years of his life to a variety of investigations on higher plants (angiosperms). It has been implicitly assumed that these studies in the fields of descriptive botany and experimental plant physiology were carried out to corroborate his principle of descent with modification. However, Darwin's son Francis, who was a professional plant biologist, pointed out that the interests of his father were both of a physiological and an evolutionary nature. In this article, we describe Darwin's work on the physiology of higher plants from a modern perspective, with reference to the following topics: circumnutations, tropisms and the endogenous oscillator model; the evolutionary patterns of auxin action; the root-brain hypothesis; phloem structure and photosynthesis research; endosymbioses and growth-promoting bacteria; photomorphogenesis and phenotypic plasticity; basal metabolic rate, the Pfeffer-Kleiber relationship and metabolic optimality theory with respect to adaptive evolution; and developmental constraints versus functional equivalence in relationship to directional natural selection. Based on a review of these various fields of inquiry, we deduce the existence of a Darwinian (evolutionary) approach to plant physiology and define this emerging scientific discipline as the experimental study and theoretical analysis of the functions of green, sessile organisms from a phylogenetic perspective.

Effects of rhizobia and plant growth promoting bacteria inoculation ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) stimulate plant growth by producing phytohormone which enhances the growth and physiological activities of the host plant. Recently, legume bacteria (Rhizobium spp.) have been considered as a PGPR for legume as well as non-legumes and have the potential for growth ...

A study on self-incompatibility and its physiological causes in mango (Mangifera indica L.) Cv. Dashehari

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, R.M.; Singh, R.N.; Rathore, D.S.

1974-01-01

In studies on the physiological causes of self-incompatibility in mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Dashehari, both self and cross-pollinated fruitlets were analysed for auxin-like substances at different states of their growth. It was found that cross-pollinated fruitlets act as a stronger physiological sink as compared to self-pollinated ones. Activity measurement and autoradiography of leaves and fruitlets at different stages of their growth indicated that the mobility of 32 P was more towards cross-pollinated fruitlets than that of self-pollinated ones. (author)

Empirical testing of Kotler's high-performance factors to increase sales growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oren Dayan

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose and/or objectives: The primary objective of this study is to empirically test Kotler's (2003 high-performance model which ensures an increase in sales growth. More specifically, the study explores the influence of process variables (as measured by marketing strategies, resources management (as measured by the management of labour, materials, machines, information technology and energy and organisational variables (as measured by TQM and organisational culture on sales growth in the food, motorcar and high-technology manufacturing industries. Problem investigated Various research studies suggest that the managers of firms are continuously challenged in their attempts to increase their sales (Morre, 2007; Pauwels, Silva Risso, Srinivasan & Hanssens, 2004: 142-143; Gray & Hayes, 2007: 1. Kotler (2003 suggests a model that leads to a high performing business. The question is posed as to whether this model can be used to increase sales growth in all businesses. This study seeks to develop a generic model to increase sales growth across industries by using an adapted version of Kotler's (2003 high-performance model. The study investigates the application of this adapted model on the food, motorcar and high-technology manufacturing industries. Design and/or methodology and/or approach: An empirical causal research design that includes 770 marketing and product development practitioners from multinational food, motorcar and high-technology manufacturing firms, was used in this study. A response rate of 76.1% was achieved as only 571 useable questionnaires were returned. The internal reliability and discriminant validity of the measuring instrument were assessed by the calculation of Cronbach alpha coefficients and the conducting an exploratory factor analysis respectively. Structural Equation Modelling SEM was used to statistically test the relationships between the independent variables (marketing strategies, resource management, TQM and

The Limits of Exercise Physiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gabriel, Brendan M; Zierath, Juleen R

2017-01-01

Many of the established positive health benefits of exercise have been documented by historical discoveries in the field of exercise physiology. These investigations often assess limits: the limits of performance, or the limits of exercise-induced health benefits. Indeed, several key findings have...... been informed by studying highly trained athletes, in addition to healthy or unhealthy people. Recent progress has been made in regard to skeletal muscle metabolism and personalized exercise regimes. In this perspective, we review some of the historical milestones of exercise physiology, discuss how...

Evaluating physiological responses of plants to salinity stress

KAUST Repository

Negrão, Sónia

2016-10-06

Background Because soil salinity is a major abiotic constraint affecting crop yield, much research has been conducted to develop plants with improved salinity tolerance. Salinity stress impacts many aspects of a plant’s physiology, making it difficult to study in toto. Instead, it is more tractable to dissect the plant’s response into traits that are hypothesized to be involved in the overall tolerance of the plant to salinity. Scope and conclusions We discuss how to quantify the impact of salinity on different traits, such as relative growth rate, water relations, transpiration, transpiration use efficiency, ionic relations, photosynthesis, senescence, yield and yield components. We also suggest some guidelines to assist with the selection of appropriate experimental systems, imposition of salinity stress, and obtaining and analysing relevant physiological data using appropriate indices. We illustrate how these indices can be used to identify relationships amongst the proposed traits to identify which traits are the most important contributors to salinity tolerance. Salinity tolerance is complex and involves many genes, but progress has been made in studying the mechanisms underlying a plant’s response to salinity. Nevertheless, several previous studies on salinity tolerance could have benefited from improved experimental design. We hope that this paper will provide pertinent information to researchers on performing proficient assays and interpreting results from salinity tolerance experiments.